A minor detour on the road to victory.
Mamelodi Sundowns’ road to their eighth successive league title took a wrong turn with their 2-1 loss against Orlando Pirates at the FNB Stadium on Sunday, but their destination is still within their reach.
The Brazilians have been head and shoulders above the rest of the Betway Premiership, and they have also made their presence felt in the continent along the way.
At the conclusion of the season, Miguel Cardoso and his chargers will be shifting their focus to the FIFA Club World Cup set to be hosted in the United States of America starting in June.
Sundowns currently occupy a 15-point gap in the league over their closest rivals, Pirates, with only seven games left before their season draws to a close.
Both teams have lived up to the expectations that were placed on them at the start of the season, and despite the current gap between them, the focus will now shift to whether Pirates can win all of their games in hand to make it a three-point game.
The Sea Robbers will take a lot of confidence from their win on Sunday, but the harsh reality is that their season so far suggests that their campaign still has a lot to unfold.
With four losses on the books, Jose Riveiro and his troops have proven they’re not immune to the occasional stumble, and with little room for failure, they have been a good enough side that just reached their peak at the wrong time, with Sundowns also on a rampant run that just seems unstoppable despite a few stumbling blocks of their own.
The Brazilians are on target to break their own record of 73 points in a season. Pirates are seemingly also headed in that direction, with their 64 points secured in the 1999/2000 season coming under increasing pressure.
The margins, however, suggest that they will rue the losses against teams that they should have beaten on paper, as with such a title race, letting up could be the crack in the door that shifts momentum in an instant.
Sundowns currently have all the momentum as outside their 4-1 win, Pirates have suffered losses against Stellenbosch FC at home, and two further losses away against Cape Town City (1-0) and recently Marumo Gallants (2-0) in Bloemfontein at the beginning of his month.
Sure, Relebohile Mofokeng could have restored a lot of hope with his two well-taken strikes to help his side slip in to their first win against Sundowns since the 2020/21 season, but he could have also prolonged the inevitable.
Even if Sundowns do slip up, they need to do so on two occasions as their goal difference also gives them an added advantage.
The 17-time league champions have 20 goals to the good over the Bucaneers and they are all but set to make it eight league wins on the trot and 18 overall to solidify their status as the best team in the country, and for the Sea Robbers, their road may have not led to glory yet, but it’s paved with promise for what is next, and it can begin with a lot more focus on the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Champions League, as their charge for the league maybe be a bridge too far to cross.
