Masandawana and Matsatsantsa will reignite their rivalry when they meet on Saturday afternoon in the PSL’s opening fixture
The wait is finally over as the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season kicks into gear on Saturday afternoon with defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns in action against familiar foes SuperSport United.
The Tshwane Derby promises excitement, especially with both teams eyeing a winning start to their respective campaigns.
Sundowns are also in search of revenge considering the last time these two teams locked horns in the league, it was SuperSport who emerged victorious.
That win for Matsatsantsa would have done a lot for coach Kaitano Tembo and his troop’s confidence after their recent struggles against the Tshwane giants.
Last season’s win was SuperSport’s first in 11 games against Sundowns.
|
Game |
Mamelodi Sundowns v SuperSport United |
| Date | Saturday, August 3 |
| Time | 15:00 |
TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch
The match will be live on SS4. You can also catch live updates on Goal.com.
| Live Match Centre | TV Channel |
|---|---|
| Goal.com | SS4 |
Squads & Team News
With a new season comes a new set of opportunities for all.
Sundowns though are unlikely to look too dissimilar from the team which conquered South Africa for the second successive season.
Masandawana mentor Pitso Mosimane is not known to change things around too much and this has shown in his transfer policy with the club having signed just three players so far, Sammy Seabi, Mauricio Affonso and Nyiko Mobbie.
However, Affonso is reported to be an injury doubt while Mobbie is set to be loaned out, according to Mosimane.
On the other hand, Seabi was only recently confirmed as a Sundowns player.
Aside from the injury to Affonso, Mosimane does have another injury concern.
One enforced change will be Ricardo Nascimento.
The Brazilian defender was impressive at the back for Sundowns last season but is likely to miss a considerable part of the campaign after undergoing an operation.
Mosimane though could call upon either Rivaldo Coetzee or Mosa Lebusa in order to plug the hole.
Meanwhile, SuperSport are expected to give their new signings a run.
Many will be keeping a close eye to see how former Orlando Pirates striker Thamsanqa Gabuza does upfront, and he could potentially partner Bradley Grobler and Evans Rusike.
Kudakwashe Mahachi is another new signing and he will hope to realise his promise as he comes up against his former side.
At the back, SuperSport conceded 29 goals last season and Tembo will hope to maintain the defensive solidity against one of the PSL’s hottest attacks.
Match Preview
Heading into the game, Sundowns have a healthy record over their rivals.
Not only are they the more successful having secured nine PSL titles to SuperSport’s three but they have registered more wins in all competitions.
Of the previous 38 meetings in all competitions, Sundowns have won 21 while SuperSport have won just 10.
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