Former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns striker Katlego Mashego has explained what Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs need to do, to close the gap behind Sundowns.
Sundowns are on course to win their sixth consecutive Premiership title, as their dominance in the league does not look to slow down.
The gulf in class between them and the other two big sides, the Buccaneers and Amakhosi has widened to unprecedented levels this season, with a 24-point lead over both of them after the Soweto Derby over the weekend.
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Mashego says in order for Pirates and Chiefs to close the gap behind Sundowns, they need to compete with them for big players.
"It's very hard to pin-point but I mean Sundowns signed players from South America, they come here and they make a difference," Mashego said on SAFM Sport.
"And they sign the best players in the league which are available for any team to sign. You know, I think the recruitment at both Chiefs and Pirates needs to be…
"I'm not going be disrespectful and say a little bit better but I'm sure they can do better with player recruitment. They will probably need to match Sundowns for these top players," he said.
'Mahoota' went on to suggest that it's important that the big teams compete at the same level because that benefits Bafana Bafana.
"These are the two biggest teams in South Africa and I always say when I speak to people about football and Bafana Bafana and I say if your top four, five teams in the league are doing well, it augurs well for the national team, that's where you get the best players at the top teams," he said.
"I mean if you look at history, whichever team that has won the World Cup their domestic leagues are dominated by the biggest clubs.
"Germany won it when Bayern (Munich) was with Pep (Guardiola), (Borussia) Dortmund was flying with (Jurgen) Klopp. Italy won it when Juventus and AC Milan were on top, so it’s just that."
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Mashego also added that there is nothing stopping Pirates and Chiefs from also signing some of the best players from South America.
"I would think both teams would probably need to look at their recruitment strategy and policies and probably get the best players. I mean they can even go to South America," he carried on.
"Sundowns go there and bring two of the best players in the league, (Gaston) Sirino and (Marcelo) Allende, so I'm sure Pirates and Chiefs can do that," he concluded.
