Abafana Bes’thende are hoping to claim their second successive win, while Masandawana are looking to return to winning ways after being held in DRC
Lamontville Golden Arrows will look to end Mamelodi Sundowns’ unbeaten start to the current PSL campaign when the two teams meet at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium on Wednesday.
Abafana Bes’thende snapped their four-match winless run in the league when they defeated Marumo Gallants 3-1 at home on October 3 and they remain the last team to hold Sundowns in domestic competitions, having drawn 1-1 in the MTN8 clash in Duban on August 28.
Since then Masandawana have been unstoppable – winning five matches in a row across all competitions – scoring 13 goals without conceding in the process, but they were held to a 2-2 draw by DR Congolese side AS Maniema Union in the Caf Champions League game over the weekend.
The reigning PSL champions will be confident of securing a victory over Arrows having thrashed Abafana Bes’thende 3-0 in their last meeting which was the MTN8 semi-final second-leg match on September 28, but the KwaZulu-Natal side is no pushovers at home in Durban.
| Game | Lamontville Golden Arrows vs Mamelodi Sundowns |
| Date | Wednesday, October 20 |
| Time | 15:30 SA Time |
TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch
The game will be shown live on SuperSport TV
| Online Streaming | TV Channel |
|---|---|
| DStv.com/DStv Now App | SuperSport PSL Channel 202 |
Squads & Team News
Arrows have not reported any injuries in their camp ahead of this encounter and they do not have any suspension concerns which has boosted coach Lehlohonolo Seema’s team selection as they look to avenge their MTN8 elimination.
Knox Mutizwa and Nqobeko Dlamini are the two players that Sundowns will have to be wary of with the former having become Arrows’ all-time leading goalscorer when he scored his 40th goal for the club in their win over Gallants and the Zimbabwean hitman will be keen to continue his scoring form against the Tshwane giants.
While Dlamini is a ball-playing midfielder, who tends to carry the balls forward from midfield and he is Arrows’ long-range specialist having scored with a stunning long-range shot as Abafana Bes’thende drew with Masandawana in the MTN8 semi-final first-leg clash in KwaZulu-Natal.
Meanwhile, Sundowns were without key players such as Rushine De Reuck, Mothobi Mvala, and Grant Kekana when they faced Maniema due to injury and it unclear whether they will be fit to face Abafana Bes’thende.
Former Arrows coach Steve Komphela, who is the Sundowns senior coach, will be missing due to suspension, but his absence is unlikely to be felt by the Chloorkop-based club with co-head coaches Manqoba Mngiqthi and Rhulani Mokwena well capable of leading the Brazilians to a win in Ethekweni.
Themba Zwane grabbed a brace against Maniema, while Peter Shalulile has scored in five successive domestic matches and these two players have what it takes to inspire Masandawana to a victory and preserve the team’s unbeaten start to the current season.
Match Preview
In head-to-head stats since the 2000/01 season, Arrows and Sundowns have clashed in 40 league matches.
The Brazilians have dominated this rivalry having recorded 20 wins compared to 10 for Abafana Bes’thende, while 10 games ended in draws.
Looking at Arrows’ home record against Sundowns, they have registered eight wins, nine defeats, and one draw from 20 matches as the hosts.
Last season, the two teams drew 1-1 at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in December 2020 in the first round league clash, before drawing 0-0 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in April 2021.
