Richards Bay FC coach Ronnie Gabriel has issued a defiant statement ahead of their clash against Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 quarter-final.
The two sides will meet in the last quarter-final this upcoming weekend. They will face off on Sunday, 3 August, at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.
Masandawana will be looking to reignite their success in this competition, having last lifted the MTN8 trophy in the 2021/22 season, defeating Cape Town City FC in the final.
Meanwhile, the Natal Rich Boyz head into the match as clear underdogs, determined to defy expectations against the formidable Brazilians.
Going into the fixture, Gabriel says there’s no pressure on his side, emphasising that they have nothing to lose.
GABRIEL SAYS THERE’S NO PRESSURE ON RICHARDS BAY FC
“With MTN8, we know that it’s number one versus number eight, so we got Sundowns, they finished first in the league and we’re number eight,” said Gabriel.
“So, going into the fixture, there’s not too much pressure on us. We want to go and compete but play with a lot of freedom.
“This gives us a chance to be ready for the following week, the league game. If our performance takes us into the next round, we’ll be very very happy about it.
“This will give us a chance to gauge ourselves against one of the best teams in Africa. And we saw in the Club World Cup, Sundowns can punch against the big teams in the world as well.”
The Richards Bay gaffer believes facing Sundowns will serve as a crucial test to gauge his team’s standing, adding that they want to go all out and cause an upset against the Tshwane giants.
THE NATAL RICH BOYZ LOOKING TO CAUSE UPSET AGAINST SUNDOWNS
“So, it will give our group a chance to see how far we are and test ourselves and give us a chance to compete at that level,” added Gabriel.
“So, we’re happy about that opportunity to be in the top eight. We know how we started last season. We were right in the bottom of the table, in 15th and 16th places. But we clawed our way back and ended up in the top eight on the last day of the season.
“So it was beyond our wildest expectations when we were at the bottom of the league table. And now we just have to go there and cause upset against Sundowns.”
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