Rushwin Dortley insists his teammates 'need to show Kaizer Chiefs are a big club' against Mamelodi Sundowns - 'We want to lift spirits of our fans'

Mamelodi Sundowns will host Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday in the Premier Soccer League assignment.

The defending champions are chasing their 18th win in 20 league games, while the Glamour Boys are hoping to get their eighth victory in 19 outings.

While Sundowns have collected 51 points, Amakhosi have managed just 25.

This season, the two teams have already met twice [across all competitions], with Masandawana winning convincingly.

As a matter of fact, the Brazilians have defeated Chiefs eight times in the most recent 10 meetings across all competitions.

The last time the Soweto giants beat Sundowns was in April 2021 when they registered a 2-1 win in the PSL.

However, Dortley believes the time is right for Amakhosi to prove their status in Mzansi.

"This is a big game. They [Sundowns] have already beaten us twice [2-1 and 4-0 both at home in the league and the Carling Knockout quarter-final in September and November], so we need to show that Kaizer Chiefs are also a big club and we can rise to the occasion on big stages. We also want to lift the spirits of our fans,'' he said, as quoted by Sowetan.

“We kept a few clean sheets [against Stellenbosch and Chippa United] before losing 4-1 to SuperSport United, so as a defensive unit, we want to return to keeping clean sheets. To us as defenders and goalkeepers, keeping a clean sheet is like scoring a goal, so it's important to defend hard,'' Dortley added.

Chiefs have a chance of finishing in the top positions and playing in Caf competitions next season, but they have to work on their consistency.

However, for Masandawana, another win will bring them closer to their eighth consecutive crown.