Mamelodi Sundowns prepare for the 2nd Leg of the MTN8 Semi-final clash against Orlando Pirates taking place on Saturday, 22 October in Limpopo, Polokwane. Following their 0-0 draw from the 1st leg, The Brazilians are aware that the game will be tough but foresee better results in the upcoming game.
Masandawana Co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi shared his insights on the upcoming encounter given the results from the 1st Leg, he said: “I must say that we are playing a very tough match against a team that has improved in leaps and bounds and a team that has made sure that we don’t score a goal in their backyard, which makes this assignment a little bit of a tough one for both teams. We know what Pirates are capable of and they also know what we are capable of.”
Coach Mngqithi communicated that as a team, Mamelodi Sundowns go to every match to win regardless of the intensity or calibre of the match. He speaks about how they don’t let past results inflict fear or doubt, he said: “We believe that we’ve got a team that is capable of coming out of this match with a result. We are not going to take this game for granted, we know that the stakes are high. Every match that we play we always go into that match with the mentality to win, in this space it doesn’t matter whether we concede or what happens, but if at the end of the game we’ve scored more than the opposition that is the most important thing because we always want to win the match.”
“When we did not win in Orlando we did not feel good, had we had a 1-1 draw or a 2-2 draw we would still not feel good because we go to every match with one thing in mind [which is] to try and make sure that we dominate the pitch, we dominate the ball and all the metrics that we think can always help in making sure that the outcome of the game is under your control and not dependant on what other people are doing.”
Looking at the head-to-head record of both teams going into the 2nd Leg of the Wafa Wafa clash, Mamelodi Sundowns has had 4 wins and a draw in their last 5 matches played. The Buccaneers have 1 win and a draw in the last 5 matches they’ve played.
Being the defending Champions of the Wafa Wafa Cup, Bafana Ba Style are determined to fight for their spot in the Finals and reclaim the MTN8 Champions title once again. Irrespective of their results from the 1st Leg, the team is ready for the football action on Saturday and look forward to making the Yellow Nation proud.
Coach Mngqithi admits that he enjoys matches that are difficult because they motivate him and the team to work harder and look in which areas they can improve. “I like to play big matches. Playing big matches makes you dig deeper and become more meticulous in what makes a team have the respect that they have. We play good football and so do pirates. These types of matches are exactly what I like because you never know what the outcome will be.”
Bafana Ba Style take it back to Limpopo as they resume with their #HomeAwayFromHome. The MTN8 clash will take place at the Peter Mokaba Stadium and Kick off will be at 15h30.
SOURCED FROM THE DOWNS WEBSITE.
