Modiba Holds Onto PSL Title Hopes

Aubrey Modiba helped Mamelodi Sundowns take a giant step toward CAF Champions League glory, but he admitted that Saturday was a night of split attention at Loftus Versfeld, as he kept one eye on the Betway Premiership title race unfolding elsewhere. While Sundowns managed a 1-0 victory over AS FAR in their continental final first leg in Pretoria, Orlando Pirates were held to a 0-0 draw by Durban City the previous day. This result maintained a flicker of hope for a domestic title dream for Miguel Cardoso's Sundowns side.

Modiba confirmed that the players had been tracking the Pirates' result in real time, and that their mood shifted when the draw was confirmed. "Yeah no, obviously, when it was a draw, we were watching that game, when it was a draw, we still believe, we always believe, anything can happen – but we also know the quality of Orlando Pirates, how bad they want the league," he said.

The draw means that Sundowns are not yet mathematically out of contention, although the Buccaneers hold a commanding position at the top of the table and require only a positive result in their final match against ORBIT College to secure the championship. Modiba is aware of the steep odds but remains hopeful. "Hopefully in the last game against ORBIT they have the same result, so we’ll just hope and pray we always believe, you must always believe, so yeah, we believe," he stated.

This season has been bittersweet for Sundowns, who have chased Pirates for much of the second half of the campaign after losing top spot. Losing the league title after eight consecutive seasons of dominance would be difficult to accept, but the Brazilians have positioned themselves to mitigate that disappointment with a title in Africa's elite club competition now within reach.