Will the Clever Boys get cleverer than Downs?
JOBURG - Mamelodi Sundowns will be hoping to bag one of their most elusive trophies, the MTN8.
The MTN8 final between Bidvest Wits and Mamelodi Sundowns will be played at the Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela on 1 October, with kick-off set for 5pm.
The Premier Soccer League made the announcement at the Lucas ‘Masterpieces’ Moripe Stadium on 21 September soon after the second leg of the semi-final between Chippa United and Sundowns, which the Brazilians won with a solitary goal struck by the boot of substitute Anthony Laffor.
The league defending champions joined last season’s league runners-up, Bidvest Wits, who dispatched maidens of the league, Cape Town City 3–0 in the first leg of the semi-final following a 0–0 draw in the second.
The MTN8 is one cup competition that has eluded the Brazilians in its eight-year history, having appeared in the first final of the tournament way back in 2008, when they were beaten by Kaizer Chiefs.
Since then, Downs have never managed to wing their way to the finals and will be hoping their hoodoo cup will finally find its way to the cabinet of the Chloorkop side, that is if they can get cleverer than the in-form Clever Boys.
Both the Clever Boys and the Yellow Machine, as Sundowns have come to be known lately, will be looking to lay their hands on this somewhat slippery trophy that has eluded both sides.
The two teams are the form teams of the past two seasons, with Downs having pipped the Clever Boys to the 2015/16 Absa Premiership title.
But in this tournament, the Clever Boys are hoping to be smarter than Sundowns and secure their first silverware in many dry seasons which they probably don’t care to remember.
Announcing the venue of the final, the league’s acting CEO Mato Madlala said this would be the first time that the Mbombela Stadium has hosted an MTN final and she expressed her anticipation that the people of Mpumalanga province and surrounding areas would embrace the event in their numbers. “As the league, it is in our interest to ensure that we spread football to [as many] different parts of the country as possible to give all our supporters an opportunity to watch cup finals,” said Madlala.
She said the league and its partners, MTN, looked forward to what would be a great cup final between two great teams that have been in top form recently.
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