Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies head coach Jerry Tshabalala is expecting a “tricky” battle against Richmond United in their next Hollywoodbets Super League clash on Wednesday afternoon.

The Brazilians will be aiming to continue their incredible defence of the Hollywoodbets Super League title when they take on Richmond after registering a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the University of the Western Cape at the Vasco Da Gama Stadium in their previous match.

When Sundowns and Richmond last met in the league earlier this season, the defending champions came out on top claiming a comfortable 5-1 victory in the first leg.

Tshabalala is confident his side are capable of stopping the threat of Richmond and, although United are placed 10th in the standings, they have scored an impressive 39 goals so far this season, with Nthabiseng Majiya bagging 20.

“The game against Richmond will be a very tricky encounter because they are a very youthful and industrious side. One exciting aspect of their game is the ability to be very effective with and without the ball,” Tshabalala told his club’s official website.

“Their energy levels are one of the best in the league and that is an area we will need to show our character. Although we defeated them in the first leg, it was far from an easy game because they are a very tactical and technical side.

“This game would give us a very good indication of where we are in terms of our ability to break down teams with fast carriers of the ball,” noted Tshabalala.

“It is no surprise that their striker Nthabiseng Majiya is one of the top- scorers of the Hollywoodbets Super League this season. They are a free-scoring team and their home records are quite impressive against some of the top teams in the league.

“They are a brave outfit and they are very good on the counter. Therefore, we need to be very vigilant throughout the game,” he concluded.