Really? Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou claims 'there's nothing special' in PSL date with Mamelodi Sundowns as Nkosinathi Sibisi insists 'It’s another game of football'

On Wednesday night, Orlando Pirates host Mamelodi Sundowns at the Orlando Amstel Arena in the Premier Soccer League outing.

A win for the Soweto giants will widen their lead to nine points, while victory for the second-placed Masandawana will reduce it to just three.

However, Orlando Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi insists the outcome of the game will not determine the future of the Premier Soccer League crown, since more than 10 games are remaining to conclude the campaign.

"I think on Wednesday all will not be lost and all will not be won,” the Bafana Bafana international defender told the media in a presser.

“It’s another game of football, another 90 minutes. There will still be 12 or 13 games to go after this game, and it’s not only Sundowns and us [who are] in the title race; there are still other teams behind us.

“For us, it’s just to take the game as it comes, and I don’t think there is any pressure. We have been doing well up until now, so we just have to keep on going," he further justified his argument. 

Despite conceding that the fixture will be a massive challenge for his charges, coach Abdeslam Ouaddou insists the target has always been the same, which makes it like the other outings.

"This game will be a test for us to see if we have this mentality, this character to say, ‘Okay, we stay top of the table, and we hold onto that spot until the end of the season.’ Nothing special; we have the same target as we’ve been having in other games, and that’s to win," the former Morocco international defender echoed his captain.

"I have told my players to focus on our targets and go into this game without any pressure; they should be free in their minds. 

"Nothing changes, we must not now change things we have been doing because we play Sundowns. Of course, it’s a Clasico, so we have to elevate our level of focus," Ouaddou concluded.

This will be the fourth time the teams are meeting this season across all competitions. The first one was in a two-legged MTN8 semi-final; both legs ended 1-1 in regulation time before Bucs won the shootout enroute to successfully defending the title.

In the PSL, it ended 1-1 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, but this is arguably the most important fixture.