Mamelodi Sundowns Brace Themselves For Ghanaian Test
The Brazilians will get the opportunity to test their new arsenal of players against sides who will provide a true test to the squad, as Kotoko have been been fully active in competitive football.
Kotoko have just come from a disappointing 1-0 loss to Medeama in the MTN FA Final, but had a good season, winning the Ghana Premier League, thus confirming their giant status in the Ghanaian football scene.
There is no question as to Hearts Of Oak?s status in Ghana, while Dwarfs finished fourth on the league table.
Sundowns have been received well in Ghana since arriving in that country at the weekend, and even joined locals at the Accra Sports Stadium over the weekend to witness the MTN FA Final between Medeama and Asante Kotoko.
Sundowns will be under no illusion as to the task at hand. Bafana Ba Style will take on Hearts of Oak in Accra on Wednesday before playing Kotoko and Dwarfs in Kumasi and the Cape Coast respectively.
Coach Pitso Mosimane believes that the friendly matches will give him and the technical team a clear indication of where the team is in terms of fitness and also underline his squad?s strengths and weaknesses, after three weeks of pre-season activity.
?We are in the third week of our pre-season preparations and I look forward to the friendly matches against the African giants because my players will be tested but also because we will have an indication of the work we have been doing so far.?
Mosimane has however been impressed with the response from the players and the commitment shown in the pre-season camps, saying that the players are responding well to the training and his philosophy.
?Look, we cannot get everything right on the first few days but as far as the squad is concerned, I can say that they players are responding well to instruction and we are getting what we intended out of the camps.
?The Polokwane camp was about loading and getting the players back into shape after the season break. Here in Ghana we want to test what we have been working on since we have opened.?
Ghanian Rashid Sumaila has joined the team after his disappointment being on the losing side in the Cup game at the weekend, and will face his former team-mates in Kotoko.
He had a sterling game, and looks set to cement his place in the centre-back berth for Mosimane?s team
