Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has given a clear indication of how prepared they are to face Orlando Pirates, as he went deep into detail to show just how much the Buccaneers have improved under the tutelage of Jose Riveiro.
Sundowns, who are currently sitting comfortably at the top of the Premiership standings, will take the trip from Chloorkop to Orlando to face a side Mokwena knows far too well, having coached there a few years ago.
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Pirates are seen as one of Sundowns' biggest threats for the title this season, but Mokwena can send out a strong message early on in the season by going to Orlando Stadium and extending their run to seven consecutive matches. He is, however, fully aware of the fact that the Buccaneers are no pushovers and the form of striker Zakhele Lepasa cannot be ignored.
"There has been big coaching improvement and you can see it. There's clarity in some of the organisational forms. That is supported by when you look at the numbers and the form in relation to how they have started. They've played nine matches; they've won six, with two losses and one draw. They've scored 18 goals, with Zakhele Lepasa scoring 10 of those and then of course moving into that space of being the first Pirates player to score 10 goals as quickly as he has. They have conceded six, but that's not just the data that's most important because that's the data that profiles their form," Mokwena told media at a press conference held at Chloorkop on Monday afternoon.
"What profiles their playing system is that they have averaged 60 percent ball possession. As compared to last season, they keep more of the ball this season. They do play faster, where they average about 20 seconds per possession spell. Ours is a little bit more, because we have a different way of playing.
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"They do create a lot of situations from crosses, like averaging nine crosses per match. They create about 13 chances per match. Already you can profile and see where the team is from an offensive perspective. There has been big improvements and we know that we will be playing against a very good team. Small details will make the difference."
Leaders Sundowns have an 11-point lead over seventh-placed Pirates, who have two games in hand. The Buccaneers are fully aware of how important it is not to fall too far behind so early in the season, so a victory on home soil will be of utmost importance for them.
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