Mamelodi Sundowns defender Zuko Mdunyelwa highlighted a mistake made during their 1-1 draw with Chippa United, emphasising it shouldn’t be repeated.
The Chippa match marked the first time since the 2014/15 season that the defending Betway Premiership champions failed to win their season opener. They were also held to a 1-1 draw by Maritzburg United, now known as Durban City FC.
Mdunyelwa, a former player with the Chilli Boys, has reflected on their opening game and is wary of their upcoming opponents. Sundowns will host AmaZulu FC at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday night for a league match. Kick off is 19h30.
Having come on as a substitute in the second half, Mdunyelwa believes the team was tactically out of sync that day, which contributed to a forgettable performance at his hometown.
“I felt like we did not apply ourselves the way we wanted to apply ourselves, and we did not carry out the plan we had for the opposition. Other than that, it was great being in my home province, playing against my former club in a city where I used to live,” reflected the former Chippa United defender.
MDUNYELWA IDENTIFIES AMAZULU THREAT
The league champions will seek redemption on Tuesday as they host AmaZulu, a team that, unlike Downs, enjoyed a perfect start to the season. Usuthu was one of six teams to win their opening match, narrowly defeating newcomers Orbit College 1-0 in KwaMashu on Saturday.
Without revealing much, the 26-year-old full-back assured that his technical team has identified significant loopholes in the Usuthu side, also emphasising the need to neutralise their strengths.
“We were working on certain things that I cannot mention because they are very tactical, and they are very key for us and the game. So, we are very much aware of their weaknesses and their strengths, so we will try to capitalise on their weaknesses and try to limit their strengths,” he mentioned.
The league champion also revealed that there are certain players at Usuthu that pose dangerous offensive threats that he plans to shut down from a defensive perspective.
“I have to mention [Hendrick Ekstein] and Riaan Hanamub, Bongani Zungu, those are the key influential players and at the back [Taariq] Fielies. These are key players that have been the foundation of the club, Sandile Mthethwa. We are very much aware of their strengths and their weaknesses, which we plan to explore,” he said.
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