Mamelodi Sundowns veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango has offered a blunt assessment of Kaizer Chiefs’ approach during their latest Betway Premiership clash, claiming that Amakhosi were more focused on avoiding embarrassment than taking the game to the defending champions.
The two South African giants played to a 1-1 draw last weekend, with Chiefs managing to hold Sundowns to a share of the points in their second league meeting of the season.
According to Onyango, Chiefs approached the encounter with caution, opting to defend deep and wait for Sundowns to make mistakes rather than committing numbers forward and playing an attacking game.
“When Chiefs play us they are avoiding to be embarrassed, they play defensive football and hope that we make mistakes. And that’s exactly what happened last weekend.”
The experienced goalkeeper believes the result reflected the approach taken by Amakhosi. Sundowns dominated possession for long periods, but Chiefs remained organised defensively and looked for opportunities to punish mistakes on the counter.
For Chiefs, the draw will nevertheless be viewed as a positive result against a Sundowns side that has established itself as one of the most dominant teams in South African football. Preventing the Brazilians from taking all three points could prove valuable as the season progresses.
However, Onyango’s comments are likely to add extra spice to what is already one of the biggest rivalries in the Betway Premiership. His assessment suggests that Sundowns feel opponents are increasingly changing their tactics specifically to limit their attacking threat.
Chiefs will now have an opportunity to respond on the pitch. Rather than focusing on the criticism, Amakhosi will be hoping to show that they can compete with Sundowns on their own terms while continuing to collect important points.
The 1-1 draw may have ended without a winner, but Onyango’s comments have ensured that the debate surrounding the two giants will continue long after the final whistle. 💛💚⚽
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