Sales Labels Buccaneers ‘Toughest Opponent In SA’
Mamelodi Sundowns winger Arthur Sales has identified Orlando Pirates as the club’s toughest opponent in South Africa ahead of Saturday’s MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Sales believes the rivalry between the two clubs has developed into one of the biggest in South African football, with Sundowns and Pirates consistently competing for major honours and remaining closely matched over the years.
“I think the toughest games in South Africa are against Pirates,” Sales said.
“For many years, we’ve stayed close and competed for cups and the league.
“I think it’s the biggest game and the toughest game for us in South Africa.”
Since joining the Brazilians in the 2024/25 season, Sales has faced Pirates four times, winning once, drawing twice and losing once. However, Sundowns have faced Pirates six times during his time at the club, with the Brazilian missing two of those encounters through injury.
The matches Sales missed were the second leg of last season’s MTN8 semi-final and the second-round league meeting.
His previous appearances against Pirates include two league matches during his first season at Sundowns, while last season he featured in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-final and another league encounter.
Having only recently returned to action this season following an injury setback, Sales confirmed that he is fit and available for the final. However, the Brazilian forward admits he still needs competitive game time to reach his best level.
“I think I can play 90 minutes today, but it’s also about game time. You need to play games,” he added.
“I’ve already played friendly games and trained fully, but game time is very important for a player.
“I don’t have that game time, so I think I’m already ready for the coach, but it’s just about getting game time.
“It’s about playing in the stadium and playing in front of the fans. I need to recover properly during this time.”
Sales’ availability gives Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso another attacking option for the highly anticipated final, although the winger understands that his lack of competitive minutes could be an important factor in determining how long he can play.
