Sundowns turn MTN8 curse into good omen in the league

You’d have to go back some 13 years back into the archives to find the last time that Mamelodi Sundowns were crowned the champions of the top-eight competition – they actually won it when the season opener tournament was still sponsored by the now troubled South African Airways.

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Downs did reach the final in 2008 after winning it in 2007 but were beaten by rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the final. It then took Masandawana eight years to reach another MTN8 final only to be outclassed by the now defunct Bidvest Wits in 2016.

In former coach Pitso Mosimane’s reign as Downs head coach, the top-eight was the only trophy that eluded his trophy-laden spell. However, Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi says their struggle in the MTN8 somehow gives Sundowns a wake-up call.

The Brazilians lost to Bloemfontein Celtic in this season’s quarterfinals.

“The unfortunate part is that we never really started well in the MTN8 for the past few seasons but in the league, for whatever reason [we seem to start well]. Maybe the game that we play in the MTN8 gives us a wake-up call to start the league on a high note,” said Mngqithi.

“Over the past few years we have only been into the final once and we have never really had a strong run in the MTN8. In one way or another it has helped us to focus more after a bad result in the MTN8, even if it is a good result we would feel we have not played well, that is why when we go to the league we always give it our best shot,” he added.

After an impressive 3-0 win against Kaizer Chiefs in the DStv Premiership, Sundowns are turning their focus to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila. Seeing that Tshakhuma might not pose much of a threat to Masandawana’s star-studded side, Mngqithi and his technical team could give some of their new players a run.

“We are trying our level best to integrate them but we know that the adaptation process normally takes a little longer so it is always important for us to make sure that we don’t rush, we bring them in one-by-one slowly.

“Kermit Erasmus has had a chance, Hashim Domingo has had a chance, Peter Shalulile has had a chance but there are others who have not had their chances and we are hoping that from time to time we will be able to build up from that.”

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