Mamelodi Sundowns will face Chippa United on Wednesday in an attempt to recover their confidence after suffering their second loss in the DStv Premiership last weekend at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. The defending champions will travel to Port Elizabeth licking their wounds after a two-goal lead in the first half cost them their glory after beating SuperSport United at home in the MTN8 quarterfinals on the opening weekend. Both teams will enter the match having dropped points in their previous matches.
“I believe it will be a very difficult one; I do not believe it will be easy. We never play games that are going to be easy, and Chippa have a new and youthful coach with maybe some new ideas, a lot of intriguing new players, and obviously the majority of those guys are aiming to secure a spot in the starting 11. They will push themselves since they are already motivated and do not require incentive to compete against Mamelodi Sundowns.”
“We also just returned from a loss, so we are definitely eager to win the game.” I am aware that it will not be an easy task, but I have faith in my team and am confident that we can achieve success.”
Since the beginning of their title defense, Masandawana’s campaign record has seen them win, lose, win, draw, and lose, but the Chili lads have only one victory, two draws, and three losses this season. This new season has not been a glorious one for The Brazilians in terms of their log position and points accumulated; they have a 50 percent win ratio from their six games this season, a foreign figure by the high standards that they have undoubtedly set. Maboe commented on this pattern, stating, “This new season has not been a glorious one for The Brazilians in terms of their log position and points collected.
“We must have faith in the process and in the objective we are striving to achieve. It’s never going to be easy; there will always be obstacles and snags along the way. We might view this moment as one in which we’ll likely need to confront these obstacles. We’re probably fortunate since we’re facing them early in the season; as we gain momentum, we’ll win more often and have more consistent performances from then on.
“We must all pull in the same direction and assist one another. This season is not going to be easy; it is going to be a very challenging season, but we need each other and must continue to support and push one another in a constructive manner.”
Mamelodi Sundowns meet Chippa United on September 7 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in the DStv Premiership. Live coverage begins at 19:30 on SuperSport.