Preview: Mamelodi Sundowns defender Grant Kekana wary of SuperSport United’s dangerous trio ahead of Tshwane derby

Sundowns and SuperSport are billed to lock horns in a battle that will not only be about the crucial DStv Premiership points but also the bragging rights of the exciting derby at Loftus Stadium on Tuesday at 19:30.

The teams head into the match with contrasting fortunes, with Sundowns functioning like a well-oiled machine while the youthful SuperSport went four matches without a victory in the league recently.

But Kekana has warned form won’t matter that much on the field because of the magnitude of the clash.

“When it comes to derbies, the form doesn’t count for anything,” Kekana said.

“It’s about who wants it the most on the day, so it’s going to be very important that we are switched on from the first whistle until the very end. It’s going to be a tough match, but we are more than ready for it.”

Sundowns have won four of the last five Tshwane derbies with SuperSport’s last victory in the fixture dating back to 2 September 2022.

Kekana said they will need to keep a close eye on SuperSport’s dangermen such as Bradley Grobler, Terrence Dzvukamanja and Lyle Lakay, if they are to complete a league double over their rivals.

“We know Bradley has been doing quite well, he is scoring a lot of goals, and he is up there with the top goal scorers in the league,” Kekana said.

“There’s Dzjukamanja also with his late runs and Lyle Lakay with his crosses. SuperSport have a lot of threats in a lot of areas, and we will be looking to nullify them so that we don’t give them too many opportunities.”

Sundowns are on a mission to wrap up the title race as early as possible and focus on the Caf Champions League and the Nedbank Cup.

SuperSport aims to bounce back into winning ways and stay in the race for a second-place finish.

Picking up only three points from a possible 12 in their previous four outings hasn’t been good for their mission.

The Gavin Hunt-coached team dropped to the fourth spot on the log table with 32 points from 19 outings.

They are 13 points behind Sundowns, who have played 17 matches, and one point behind second-placed Orlando Pirates.