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Cape Town - SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams have cooled talk about them challenging for the Absa Premiership title, for now at least.
Matsatsantsa are currently fifth on the log, but after Mamelodi Sundowns' 2-0 win against Maritzburg United on Tuesday night find themselves five points behind the defending champions after 23 rounds of action.
It is for that reason and the quality of upcoming opposition, not least Kaizer Chiefs on Friday night, that Tembo and Williams batted back media questions about their part in the title race.
"It's still early days as there's still a lot of games to come like Chiefs nad then Sundowns after the international break," Williams told reporters at United's media open day on Wednesday.
"Also, we haven't beaten Sundowns in like four of five years [ed's note: actually six, United last beat Sundowns (1-0) in the league in March 2013] so it's going to be tough.
"If we collect maximum points from those two games - and hopefully we do - then we can start speaking about the league, but we don't want to jump the gun - we have to take it one game at a time."
Williams, who will wear the captain's armband against Chiefs due to Dean Furman's yellow card suspension, was quick to remind the gathered media how quickly the narrative around Matsatsantsa has changed.
"A month ago, people were speculating about the coach getting fired and now they're speaking about us challenge - so that's how quickly things can change."
Tembo, meanwhile, also highlighted the realities of the table as it is.
"The title race is very tight. It's different to last season when with eight games to go we knew who the contenders were - Sundowns and Pirates - but this season it's very different.
"Right now, we have to focus on what's important and that’s the next game. I think when there's three or four game to go we'll start seeing the true picture because right now you lose one game and you can be number eight."
