Cape Town - SuperSport United have been a breeding ground for Mamelodi Sundowns in recent years, but such is the form that both sides are in, they are each eyeing the Premiership title.
Having won three championships in a row from 2008 and 2010, SuperSport fell from grace after the departure of coach Gavin Hunt to Bidvest Wits.
That opened a new era at crosstown rivals Sundowns, with SuperSport’s former coach Pitso Mosimane awakening the sleeping giant in Chloorkop.
The Brazilians haven’t looked back since with Mosimane’s successors, Rhulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi, picking up from where he left off.
However, Sundowns’ dominance has been under threat this season as Hunt’s return to Matsatsantsa has worked wonders for the cashstrapped outfit.
The Brazilians are top of the league pile, 11 points ahead of second-placed Richards Bay, who are a further two points ahead of the third-placed SuperSport.
It is for this reason, that if there’s a game that’s set to test Sundowns’ character, it is this evening against SuperSport in a Tshwane Derby under the lights of Loftus.
Since solely taking over the coaching reins late last year, Mokwena’s side is yet drop points in the league, having collected five victories on the bounce. SuperSport, meanwhile, recently saw a six game unbeaten run come to an end to Golden Arrows last week. They will, however, need no motivation to get back on track in the derby.
Moreover, Sundowns will meet a side that’s not only their rivals but player supplier after signing most of their current key players from them in recent years.
Losing players to their rivals was expected to destabilise SuperSport but not under the watch of Hunt. The four-time title winning coach has used that to motivate his players as they know that if they work hard, they will play more often.
“It’s a bit sad that things have been going the way they are. I don’t think it’d happen anywhere else in the world,” he said of the two sides’ business deals.
“But it is what it is, I can’t control those things. I can only try to control the performance of the team on the field - that’s the only thing I can do, really.”
Hunt has done well in that regard, so much so that his side was the last team that beat the defending champions in the league back in August.
So, with SuperSport guaranteed to close the gap to 10 points if they beat Downs tonight, is that motivating them to go all the way, win the game and hope for greater honours?
“We have to improve the quality of the players that we sign but financially we are not going to be able to. We can talk but we need the quality,” Hunt said.
“But I haven’t said a word to my players about the title race. I know that we are many points behind. I try to match our performances to results though.”
Aubrey Modiba is one of the players that has changed allegiances, having joined Sundowns’ camp following a record transfer fee back in 2020.
But looking at the progress that his former employers have made since the start of the season, Modiba said they are wary of the threat they pose.
“I think as a big team, we don’t want another team to beat you twice. That’s the conversation that we’ve been having but they are a good team,” he said.
“They’ve been doing well under coach Hunt. They like to put balls in the box. And that’s why we have to ensure we defend well from the start.”
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