MTN 8 lacklustre Mamelodi Sundowns in for a tough Betway Premiership

Judging from how Mamelodi Sundowns played in the MTN 8 competition, the Tshwane outfit may not be the first to inscribe their name on the trophy.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi hopes to pick up where they left off in the previous season. Photo: Sipho Siso

A new era has dawned for South African football as the Premier Soccer League has joined forces with Betway to launch the first-ever Betway Premiership for the 2024/25 season.
Following the recent announcement of acquiring the title sponsorship of South Africa’s largest sporting property, the official launch of the Betway Premiership marks yet another giant step in the company’s ever-evolving sponsorship landscape.

Read more: Sundowns cup quest means they must not be the fall guy
The Betway Premiership has come with its tagline, ‘Lisegazini. Forever’, which translates to ‘football in our blood’, capturing the authentic South African spirit that underscores how deeply football is woven into the nation’s social fabric.
“Betway will highlight the fierce rivalries, celebrate historic players and most importantly, future-proof the game for generations to come. Lisegazini. Forever underscores Betway’s recognition of how the game resembles South Africa’s rich culture from the beginning of domestic football, throughout its constant evolution leading up to the Betway Premiership,” said Betway Africa’s Laurence Michel.
The Betway Premiership is set to kick off on September 14 with mouth-watering clashes that will see all 16 league clubs vying for the chance to be the first to lift the brand-new trophy after the former DStv-sponsored league became the property of Mamelodi Sundowns.

But judging from the way Masandawana played its three games of the MTN 8, where they failed to score even a single goal, they may not be able to be the first to register their name on the new trophy.
The Yellow Machine, as Sundowns are also known by their avid fans, survived the scare of a rejuvenated Polokwane City by the skin of their teeth as they were gifted a goal, courtesy of an own goal to advance to the next round of the knockout competition.
They then faced a slick Stellenbosch FC which finished third in the previous league season and again, the Brazilians created an avalanche of goal opportunities but failed to score in both legs of the two-legged semi-final.

Also read:Sundowns and Chiefs ready for the titanic MTN 8 clash
Coach Manqoba Mngqithi was not phased by the failure to score as he was content with an avalanche of scoring opportunities his charges created, though chances created could not win him a match.
“I was disappointed that we did not progress to the final but I take consolation from the number of scoring opportunities we created in all our three games after the off-season. I hope when we start the new season we shall be sharper and clinical in front of goals,” he told media at the launch of the new premiership.

“If I was in your shoes coach, I would be a worried man with that scenario of play and failure to convert chances,” remarked one sports scribe.
Mngqithi said he was not overly worried about the non-conversion of opportunities as players become rusty during the off-season. “I am confident that come our opening match you will see a different Sundowns altogether.”
League defending champions Masandawana opens the defence of their premiership trophy with a Tshwane Derby against their arch-rivals SuperSport United on September 17 at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.

Betway’s design of a Premiership Lifetime Trophy will be in partnership with one of South Africa’s most celebrated artists, Nelson Makamo. The trophy design will recognise the league’s history and have all previous winners inscribed onto the trophy, with the tradition set to be carried out for generations to come.