Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says they cannot wait to have their supporters back to rally behind the team and that football is not the same without the beat of the drums on the stands.
The Masandawana boss, however, says they are adjusting to life under the Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) so far as they have reached the final of the Nedbank Cup and drew against Orlando Pirates in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Tuesday night.
As they turn their focus to Highlands Park whom they face at Dobsonville Stadium on Friday evening, ‘Jingles’ expects a dedicated, hardworking opponent, and an emotional clash against the Lions of the North.
“Football without supporters, that’s not the game. I mean especially, you just feel that silence when you observe the moment of silence and before, just the 30 seconds before and after,” Mosimane told the media.
“You know it’s so quiet and you just feel the void left by the supporters. You miss the supporters and football will never be the same without the supporters.
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“We are just adjusting and we are following the protocols, the rules, and regulations that life matters the most but we can’t wait, especially at Sundowns, we can’t wait to hear the drum beat - we miss them.”
On their upcoming league clash against coach Owen Da Gama’s troops, Mosimane anticipates a tough match against what he called giant killers but says it’s not always about tactics.
“Well so far so good, we have played two games, the semi-final [against Bidvest Wits] which we have achieved our objective to reach the final. In the league, we are stagnant with the results. We are in the same position,” he added.
“We haven’t moved down and up, the only challenge is that the games are getting lesser. So, that’s the whole thing but you can see the team since we came back it is not as we want it.
“But if we have to be honest, when we play Highlands we play well but not very good. So, we are getting there. At least we are in the final and then we drew the tough one [against Pirates].
“They had more chances than us to win the game, let’ be honest. We were there and we managed to get a point. So, we move on.
“Highlands, you can ask any team in the PSL, they are tough customers. It’s a team that...is also a giant killer you must know that.
“So, it’s a team that is very strong, that works very hard. It’s a team that’s committed and a team that we all know that you earn your win. You can’t just win, but you fight and sometimes with Highlands, it’s more than the tactics – it’s more on the emotional side."
The reigning PSL champions have 45 points at number two on the log table, they trail log leaders Kaizer Chiefs by four points following their draw against the Clever Boys on Wednesday night.
