Mamelodi Sundowns are gearing up for an epic showdown in the MTN8 semifinal against Against Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Speaking ahead of the game against Amakhosi, Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena said: “It’s going to be a very interesting game, two very good sides in good moments in the early parts of the moments in the season, but we have to play as a once off and try to make sure that we get the results that give us good possibilities to approach the second leg with good confidence, but the mentality for us this season is to prepare as well as we can and try to win every single match.”
He added: “It’s a completely different competition, an important stage of a different competition – the semifinal and because we want to do better than we did last season, it’s important that we try to put ourselves in a different position with this competition in particular than where we were last season. Our experiences in a two-legged affair tells us a lot of what happens in the second leg, is determined by what happens in the first leg regardless of whether it’s home or away.”
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In the 2022-23 season, Masandawana were unsuccessful in defending the prestigious trophy when they were knocked out of the semi-finals by Orlando Pirates. Sundowns and the Buccaneers played to a goalless draw in the first leg at Orlando Stadium and lost 3-0 in the second leg of their semi-final in Polokwane.
Sundowns recorded a “double” over Chiefs in the previous season during league encounters, with a total of 5-0 (4-0 and 1-0). In the new season, the two teams have already locked horns in Masandawana’s second fixture of the season and the Tshwane giants emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline.
On Chiefs campaign so far this season, Mokwena said: “In relation to Kaizer Chiefs, I think they have made incredible progress. I have a few more games to watch, but fortunately I have had enough time to watch three matches now,” said Mokwena, adding: “I think they had a very good performance against AmaZulu and [Wednesday night’s] performance against Stellenbosch was also good away from home [against] a very difficult Stellenbosch team.
“[I have to] revisit our matches against them, it does look to be a repetition in some of the processes from of possession type of perspective, they look to be a little bit stronger with the actions without the ball.”