AmaZulu - Mamelodi Sundowns: can Sundowns climb to the top spot?
AmaZulu FC
Matchday 18 of the Betway Championship serves up a compelling clash between AmaZulu and Mamelodi Sundowns. The game will take place on Tuesday, February 24, kicking off at 18:30 CET, and I’m putting forward a wager on this encounter.
AmaZulu - Mamelodi Sundowns: match facts and head-to-head
- AmaZulu have won their last two matches.
- AmaZulu have lost just one of their previous six games.
- Mamelodi Sundowns have suffered one defeat in their last five outings.
- Mamelodi Sundowns boast the most potent attack in the league with 26 goals.
- Across 16 matches, Sundowns have conceded only eight times — the third-best defensive record in the division.
- In 35% of their fixtures this season, Mamelodi Sundowns have scored in both halves.
- AmaZulu have kept clean sheets in 42% of their matches this season, while Sundowns have done so in 35%.
- Only 8% of Sundowns’ matches in this campaign have ended in a defeat without scoring, compared to 21% for AmaZulu.
- Mamelodi Sundowns defeated AmaZulu 2-0 in their most recent head-to-head meeting.
AmaZulu - Mamelodi Sundowns: match preview
AmaZulu are currently riding high and delivering solid results. They sit fifth in the table with 30 points from 17 matches. The side trails the team in third by just two points. However, direct rivals Kaizer Chiefs have two games in hand. That makes the battle for a top-three finish extremely demanding. In their previous outing, AmaZulu edged Richards Bay 1-0 in the South African Cup, but in their most recent Betway Championship fixture they fell 0-2 to Orlando Pirates.
Mamelodi Sundowns continue their pursuit of the league leaders. The reigning champions have 35 points from 16 matches and occupy second place in the standings. They are three points adrift of the summit but crucially have a game in hand. That gives them a genuine chance to catch and overtake Orlando Pirates, especially considering they prevailed 2-1 in their head-to-head clash. Although Sundowns were knocked out of the South African Cup after a 0-2 defeat to TS Galaxy in their last outing, there is positive news as well: Mamelodi have progressed to the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League.
Probable line-ups
- AmaZulu: Johnson, Mthethwa, Hanamub, Fielies, Radebe, Allan, Zungu, Bern, Mbanjwa, Ekstein, Ngwenya
- Mamelodi Sundowns: Onyango, Johannes, Lunga, Khoza, Nuno Santos, Allende, Miguel Reisinho, Ntsabeleng, Sibiya, Shalulile, Letlhaku
Prediction
AmaZulu are in decent form, but facing Mamelodi Sundowns is an entirely different challenge, and stopping them will be even harder. I believe the visitors have the quality to secure the win and recommend backing that outcome.
