Sundowns striker Ribeiro not affected by penalty miss against Pirates

Mamelodi Sundowns star Lucas Ribeiro has put last season’s penalty miss against Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final behind him.

The early miss in the first half proved to be costly as the Buccaneers went on to win the match 2-1 to lift the cup.

Ribeiro has been in fine form for the Brazilians in the Betway Premiership where he currently tops the goal-scoring charts with seven goals. The attacking midfielder is expected to play a crucial role when Masandawana play Pirates at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

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The title race seemingly being a two-horse race, both teams will be looking to strengthen their grip on the premiership log. Sundowns lead the standings with 39 points after 14 games while the Buccaneers are six points adrift having played one game less.

“What happened last season with the penalty actually belongs to the past and it doesn’t affect me whatsoever. My focus is on the next game and I’m actually enjoying what the season is bringing and the penalty miss against Pirates doesn’t affect me,” Ribeiro said ahead of the grudge match.

“Whenever we play Pirates and Chiefs, when the stadium is full, I actually like to play those games because I believe I’m the type of a player who performs in front of such an audience. I’m super excited for the next game and there’s much to say but to be prepared and ready for the next game.”

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The game will kick-off at 3:30 pm in Tshwane with fans urged to arrive early for the sold-out clash.

The last time the two teams met at Loftus, the game ended in a 1-1 draw while Sundowns recorded a narrow 1-0 win at Orlando Stadium in the reverse fixture.