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'Downs looking for momentum

Johannesburg - Mamelodi Sundowns striker Anthony Laffor says the Brazilians will look to build on their recent success in the Telkom Knockout competition, when they take on Orlando Pirates in a Premiership clash in Pretoria on Wednesday.

The two giants go head-to-head at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium and Laffor said he was excited ahead of the fixture.

"The most important thing is that we scored two goals against AmaZulu in the Knockout," said Laffor.

"We need to move forward now and it's a very big game for us. I think after losing to Celtic on Sunday, Pirates are frustrated, so if we listen to our coach's instructions, we can beat Pirates on Wednesday."

Having made a poor start to their league campaign, Sundowns head into the encounter on the back of a three match unbeaten run.

They beat the University of Pretoria and Amazulu in the cup competition and drew 0-0 away with Ajax Cape Town in their last Premiership outing.

"It's not going to be easy but our confidence is very high," Laffor said.

"It is true that in the league we have not done well but we have been playing well, so if we can concentrate on our own game, I don't think anything will stop us."

Under fire, Brazilians' coach Johan Neeskens was eager to beat the defending champions and Laffor said the team wanted to get a few more victories under their belt to relieve some of the pressure on the Dutch coach.

"It is frustrating for us and sometimes the coach is blamed," Laffor said.

"It is our fault, because we are not producing but we are moving forward and, in our last game, we managed to score goals so we need to keep that up."

Meanwhile, Pirates will look to bounce back from their disappointing Telkom Knockout exit to Bloemfontein Celtic, after the Buccaneers gave up a two goal advantage, before losing on penalties to the Free State side.

The Buccaneers, currently third in the league standings, were held to a goalless draw with Amazulu in their last Premiership fixture, leaving the Soweto side four points adrift of neighbours Kaizer Chiefs after eight fixtures.

In Wednesday's other fixtures, Black Leopards host Platinum Stars, Free State Stars welcome Ajax, AmaZulu are up against AmaTuks and Maritzburg United entertain Bloemfontein Celtic.

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