Chiefs vs Sundowns headlines GDL’s penultimate round
The Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs, host the country’s hottest football franchise, the Pretoria-based Mamelodi Sundowns, in a Gauteng Development League (GDL) clash at Naturena this weekend.
In the context of the league standings, the teams are tied on 75 points with the only difference being Mamelodi Sundowns’ superior goal difference.
That has them just ahead of Chiefs on the log, in second place. The defending champions, Highlands Park, are in first place.
The Brazilians also have one game in hand, having played 30 matches compared to Chiefs’ 31, and the season comprises 34 games in total.
There is more to this fixture, especially considering the pedigree of the head coaches in charge of the two teams.
CHIEFS’ MATHEBULA
At Naturena, Kaizer Chiefs have coach David Mathebula, a 41-year-old former Chiefs’ player whose blood is gold and black through and through.
This season, Mathebula has already guided Chiefs to two titles, with the club winning the Gauteng leg of the Engen Knockout Challenge and following that up by capturing the national Engen Champ of Champs.
‘DOWNS’ MORIRI
In Pretoria, Mamelodi Sundowns are led by coach Surprise Moriri, the former captain of a record-breaking team back in the early 2000s.
Moriri donned the Sundowns’ shirt for more than a decade and represented Bafana Bafana on 34 occasions.
When it comes to the culture, the style of play on the pitch, and what the Sundowns’ brand stands for, there is no better candidate than Moriri to instill those values in the youngsters coming up in the academy.
Both Moriri and Mathebula are tactically astute, and given that they played many professional games against each other, this weekend’s fixture will surely bring back memories of an old rivalry that entertained the country for many years.
On the field, the two coaches have fantastic players at their disposal. Sundowns have the young forward Kamva Moni, who has banged eight goals so far this season, while Chiefs can counter with Mpho Khethang, who also has scored eight goals, and this leads one to expect a high-scoring contest.
The fixture will be played on Sunday.
The defending champions and league leaders, Highlands Park take on Tuks on Saturday. They’ll be eager to add another tick in the win column to maintain the pressure on Sundowns and Chiefs.
FIXTURES
Saturday, 26 October
Tuks vs Highlands Park
SuperSport United vs Kathorus Hyper Academy
School of Excellence vs NWU Vaal FC
Sunday, 27 October
Joburg City vs Kathorus Hyper Academy
Kaizer Chiefs vs Mamelodi Sundowns
Tuks vs Jomo Cosmos
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