Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs will square off in the MTN8 semi-final second leg at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville this afternoon (3pm), and all indications are that the Brazilians will reign supreme.
Unbeaten this season, the multiple DStv Premiership champions carry the advantage of an away goal following the 1-1 draw in the first leg.
Add to that the fact they are enjoying a purple patch that has seen them win all their seven league matches so far, and there’s every reason to install them as favourites.
Football writer Mihlali Baleka foresees the two teams’ South American attackers, Lucas Ribeiro Costa and Jasond Gonzalez, playing a key role in the match.
While the Brazilian Costa has had a flying start to his Sundowns career,
Colombia’s Gonzalez is yet to get off the mark. Here’s why...
Lucas Ribeiro Costa
Position: Attacker
Nationality: Brazilian
Goals so far: 7
Why he has hit the ground running: Coach Rulani Mokwena spoke of
the amount of profiling and hard work that went into luring Costa from Belgium, where he played for SK Beveren.
Costa also spent the pre-season with the Brazilians during their tour of the Netherlands and Belgium, and had time to gel with his teammates.
The 24-year-old “earned the trust of his teammates”, according to Mokwena.
What makes him special:
Costa is a very intelligent player, as evidenced by the clever runs he makes to get into scoring positions.
Mokwena raves about Costa’s “flair”. “A lot of South American players have flair, and you see it with Lucas,” he said.
“It’s things that you see with Neymar or Robinho, for example.
“It is not skill, but flair – there is an element of elegance, and he possesses that.”
What threat does he pose for Chiefs? The one thing Amakhosi must
not do is concede a penalty, because Costa will slot that in – as he did against Orlando Pirates midweek and against Bumamaru in the Champions League.
The Brazilian makes brilliant movements to confuse his markers – often being a decoy for his teammates to score. And he has the ability to conjure up something out of nothing.
Prediction: Bet on Costa to score against Chiefs.
Efmamjjasond Gonzalez Palacios (Jasond Gonzalez)
Position: Attacker
Nationality: Colombian
Goals so far: 0
Why he’s struggled to adapt:
Despite being linked to Amakhosi for the better part of the pre-season, Gonzalez only joined his new club during the start of the season.
And that put him on the back foot in terms of adaptation to new surroundings – continent, country, and club – and, most importantly, blending with his teammates.
The language barrier also contributed to Gonzalez’s tough start, given that he spends more time with fellow newbie and South American Edson Castillo, who can also speak Spanish.
Why he’ll eventually come right: The 24-year-old is tasked with turning around Chiefs’ fortunes on attack this season, and in three matches he’s yet to get the campaign up and running, despite finding the right spaces, holding up play for teammates and boasting a physical threat.
Coach Molefi Ntseki is optimistic that once Gonzalez breaks the ice, he’ll be unstoppable.
“We are all behind him. If he can get one goal, he’ll be more composed in front of goals,” he said.
What he’ll bring against Sundowns: His aerial and physical presence could be invaluable against Sundowns, who will be without regular defenders Khuliso Mudau and Mothobi Mvala due to suspension this afternoon.
Prediction: Gonzalez could be Chiefs’ trump card against Sundowns.
@MihlaliBaleka