Mosimane calls MTN 8 a pre-season tournament

1. Pitso Mosimane described the MTN8 as a “pre-season” tournament and has also explained why Mamelodi Sundowns have failed to claim the first prize of the season since he joined Masandawana in 2012.

“We are not yet in the thick of the season as we are supposed to so it is a pre-season cup and that is why it starts when we start the matches. But never mind that, we still want to win it. The reasons why we have not won the MTN8 is that when it starts we are in week two or week three of the pre-season because we have been in the Champions League,” said Mosimane.

Downs will host an on-form Bloemfontein Celtic side tonight at the Lucas Moripe Stadium and Mosimane believes that Sundowns will use their experience to navigate past a Phunya Sele Sele that comes at the back of 5-0 win over Golden Arrows.

“It is going to be difficult for us because they are motivated and they come from a high. So we have to do what we have to do and use our experience to play against them. We just have to be cautious, and by the way, nobody cares how you played in the cup. It is about who is in the semifinals.

Part of the motivation to win the MTN8 is that Downs will be celebrating their 50th anniversary next year and “Jingles” says the club has put pressure on the team to win silverware this season.

“That is the club’s vision and we have to follow it but that also creates pressure on the team to say it is our 50th anniversary and you would like to win the league to get the 10th one and last year you finished in the semifinals so you might as well go to the finals and when you are in the final you might as well win it. That is the pressure that comes with the 50th celebration,” said Mosimane.

He adds: “When I was at SuperSport United I knew that if I win one game it is okay ad then I can fight for position two or three but even a four and a five, they won’t fire you because you won a cup. It is a totally different thing to us here, we are more ambitious and maybe a little bit greedy.”

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