Triple blow for Sundowns: Bafana stars ruled out of Gallants clash

Mamelodi Sundowns’ quest to reclaim the top spot in the Betway Premiership has hit a speed bump, with three key stars ruled out of Tuesday night’s encounter against Marumo Gallants at Loftus Versfeld.

The Brazilians have a golden opportunity to leapfrog Orlando Pirates at the summit following the Buccaneers’ 1-1 draw with Siwelele over the weekend. However, they will have to do so without a significant portion of their regular starting cast.

The Suspension Crisis For Sundowns

The “Triple Blow” for Bafana Ba Style comes in the form of Bafana Bafana internationals Aubrey Modiba, Khuliso Mudau, and Jayden Adams, who are all sidelined due to disciplinary bans.

The defensive duo of Mudau and Modiba both picked up their fourth yellow cards of the season during the recent clash against Orbit College FC. This triggers a mandatory one-match suspension, leaving the Sundowns technical team with a headache in the fullback positions.

Meanwhile, midfield engine Jayden Adams will serve the final match of his two-game suspension. Adams was sent off against Golden Arrows on March 4 and, having missed the Orbit College game, will complete his time in the stands tomorrow night.

Gallants Also Missing a Key Cog

It isn’t just the hosts who will be hampered by suspensions. Marumo Gallants will arrive in Pretoria without the services of the dangerous Katlego Otladisa.

The winger picked up his fourth booking during Gallants’ 2-1 defeat to Golden Arrows over the weekend, ruling him out of what would have been a high-profile opportunity to test the depleted Sundowns defence.

With Pirates currently leading the pack on 48 points—just one ahead of Masandawana—a win for Sundowns would see them move to 50 points and take full control of the title race, especially given they still hold a game in hand over their Soweto rivals.

SUSPENDED LIST AT A GLANCE:

Mamelodi Sundowns: Aubrey Modiba, Khuliso Mudau, Jayden Adams.

Marumo Gallants: Katlego Otladisa.