Former Mamelodi Sundowns winger Lucas ‘Makhokhoba’ Sebona feels Orlando Pirates will benefit more from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) break.
Despite the Buccaneers having nine players in the Bafana squad compared to Downs’s five, the retired footballer believes Pirates have a younger team.
Currently, the Sea Robbers are top of the Betway Premiership with 28 points from 12 matches. With a two-point advantage and a game in hand over the Brazilians, Abdeslam Ouaddou’s men look well in control.
“Definitely, there will be some changes when the PSL resumes, but Pirates and Sundowns will continue to dominate because most of their players are active in Morocco,” Sebona told KickOff.
“Yes, it will catch up with them, but they have depth in their squads. The team that will suffer the most between the two is Sundowns. Pirates might escape because they are using a lot of youngsters.”
Sundowns and Pirates to fight for the league
Sebona pointed out that the youngsters from Pirates will recover quickly and be ready for the resumption of the PSL next month.
“Youngsters can recover very quickly from fatigue. Sundowns have lost most of their star players; they are old now. It may take time for them to recover,” he added.
Sundowns and Pirates have played each other three times this season, with all three matches ending 1-1. With Masandawana active in the CAF Champions League and their rivals eliminated, it’s an advantage Pirates going into the second half of the season.