adminThe match gets underway at 3.30pm.
Sundowns are home to Esrom Nyandoro, Nyasha Mushekwi and Method Mwanjali who has been captaining the side of late.
The two sides qualified for the last eight of the competition with hard fought victories against Golden Arrows and Black Leopards respectively.
Sundowns saw off a spirited Golden Arrows side while Dikwena brushed aside Black Leopards.
Both sides’ secured comfortable victories in their last encounter in the Premier Soccer League against relegation threatened opposition last week.
Platinum Stars crushed Black Leopards 4-0 while the Brazilians cruised to a 3-1 victory over Ajax Cape Town.
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is wary of the threat Platinum Stars possess, the Rustenburg-based side currently occupy second place on the Absa Premiership log.
“We believe we are the underdogs, we are playing a good team that is on form and that is free scoring. They are playing very well and having a good season,” said Mosimane.
“Cavin Johnson is a good coach.
“Competitively we are not in a favourable position but we want to win this match and win this cup.
“We are looking forward to a tough game, we are playing a team that plays good football and that is full of hard runners.”
Mosimane added that Dikwena can expect a fight tomorrow.
“We are a strong team, we will fight. The league game in Rustenburg we could’ve won, we had two one on one chances. This is another opportunity to play a good team that score easily,” added Mosimane.
Platinum Stars coach Cavin Johson describes Sundowns as one of the best teams in South Africa and says he has always enjoyed watching the Tshwane giants.
Johnson, though, feels his side go into the game as underdogs despite sitting nine places above the Brazilians on the Premier Soccer League table.
“I think coach Pitso is being modest, they [Sundowns] always go into the game as ‘upper-dogs’ because of the brand of football they play,” said Johnson.
The Dikwena boss is confident that his side can reign victorious on Sunday at the same time producing a high quality brand of football. Johnson also praised his players for the success they have achieved this season.
“Lucky for us [here at Platinum] we have a good bunch of players who are willing to learn and work hard. All we ask for is 90 minutes of good football and that is what we have seen thus far form our team in most games,” added Johnson.
“We always try to play better football in all our games and when we do that we achieve our objectives for the season.”
Dikwena and Sundowns have faced each other twice in the league so far this season with the men from Rustenburg holding a slight advantage over the men from Tshwane.
Stars beat Sundowns 1-0 at the Lucas Moripe stadium in October last year while the reverse fixture between the two sides ended in a 1-1 draw at the end of March.
Both sides notably ended the 1-1 draw at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace with 10 men. Alje Schut and Henrico Botes were forced to an early shower after an off the ball altercation.- Backpage TXT
Online Reporter