Mamelodi Sundowns may have wrapped up the league title, but when they face Kaizer Chiefs on Sunday, co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has vowed they are throwing all their arsenal at the Soweto giants. On Sunday evening, the two giants clash at the FNB Stadium in a potentially explosive DStv Premiership encounter.
Mnqgithi insists they will approach the game with a business-like attitude, as they have done with all other games this season, as their pride is at stake. “For us as Sundowns, we don’t have any dead rubbers. Pride is at stake even in a friendly match we go aiming to win, we don’t want to disappoint our supporters, we have a responsibility to represent with pride and honour,” Mngqithi said.
Downs won their fifth consecutive league title with four games to go, but Mngqithi insists there is still more to achieve. In fact, he has called on the club’s fans to throng the ‘Calabash’, as the FNB is affectionately known, and outnumber the home side Chiefs.
“We are going in as match favourites, but we play against a big team who have pride. Bragging rights are at stake; motivation must be on the right level. We play a big team that even if they don’t win the championship, winning against us is a big thing.”
The 51-year-old further stated that they aim to win all their remaining matches to fulfil their season objectives. “We would want to win all matches left; it’s a matter of benchmarks; last season, we got 67 points, the other one 71. If we can arrive at least 70 points, it will be still good,” Mngqithi added.
He warned his charges that Amakhosi may be a different animal under caretaker coaches Arthur Zwane and Dillon Sheppard. “They have brought [in] young players who are doing well and it’s good for SA football. Their style of play is different, they are building from the back and their passing has improved in leaps and bounds. Different from the last matches we played against them.”
Kickoff at FNB Stadium is on Sunday at 17:30.
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