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The Absa Premiership is set for a thrilling conclusion to the season as rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns battle it out to claim the ultimate prize in a campaign that has served up its fair share of drama.

With both sides remaining with four games to play, it is anyone’s guess who will be crowned champions with just three points separating the two clubs.

Chiefs lead the way with 53 points with a goal difference of +22 while Sundowns trail them on 50 points with a goal difference of +15.

The two sides meet at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on Thursday evening where a win for Chiefs will put them in pole position to claim a fifth title while victory for Sundowns will firmly put them back in contention for a record-extending 10th title.

Defeat, though, for Sundowns will also leave them in danger of missing out on second place to Supersport United, who are just three points behind them and already boast a superior goal difference.

However, just about two weeks ago, it almost looked as if fate had placed one of the Chiefs’ hands on the title and Sundowns’ title defence was all but over.

With six games left to play, the Chiefs held a seven-point lead over Sundowns at the top of the table but faced a tricky set of fixtures for the next two games against Bloemfontein Celtic and Stellenbosch. The same could have been said of Sundowns who were to face Maritzburg United and Golden Arrows.

Analysts expected Chiefs to get something out of those matches and strengthen their lead particularly after the strong display to see off Polokwane City 3-2 on August 15 while Sundowns lost by a similar score to Cape Town City two days later.

However, Chiefs surprisingly lost 3-1 to Celtic there was a slight sigh of relief as Sundowns were held to a 2-2 draw by Maritzburg.

The relief was then replaced by some measure of anxiety as Chiefs scrambled to rescue a point against Stellenbosch while Sundowns just squeezed past a stubborn Arrows with a 90th minute goal by Nkane Zwane.

Those results reinvigorated a title race which some had viewed as over and added to the drama in the buildup to the much-anticipated clash.

Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane, however, downplayed the significance to Thursday’s match refusing to label it a title decider.

“The way I know this team, the way I have been with this team…sometimes the title (decider) might be at the last match. We might even, maybe, not win against Chiefs. Of course, we want to win to make everything correct but, mathematically, the league is not won on Thursday. No, it is how many more points do you have?” Mosimane said in a post-match interview after the win over Arrows.

Chiefs won the previous league game at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria in November defeating Sundowns 2-0.

However, in a statement of defiance, Mosimane said that his team will always find a way past a team that decides to sit back and defend as it looks to avoid what may be a decisive blow.

Chiefs hold the advantage over Sundowns in their head-to-head meetings in the league. In their 47 league matches, Chiefs have won 20 times while Sundowns have won 13 and 14 have ended in as a tie.

Aware of the task ahead of them, a statement on the Chiefs’ website said the team will need “the same kind of spirit and determination” shown in November’s match to overcome the defending champions.