Mamelodi Sundowns have made it obvious that they intend to compete for all trophies on offer this season, as they currently lead the DStv Premiership rankings following a solid start to the season. In addition to commemorating one of its heroes, Hlompho Kekana, the defending champions will face AmaZulu on Sunday afternoon in Pretoria, as part of their opening round of matches for the 2022-23 season.
Masandawana has dominated the league thus far by winning five of eight games, while its opponents, who are ranked fifth, have only won three. Sipho Mbule, who joined the club at the start of the new transfer window, expressed faith in his new teammates prior to the match, saying, “When we look at the games that we have played, I believe that we have created a lot of chances, but the problem was that we were not converting them.” If we capitalize on the opportunities we generate in this game, I believe things would be easier and the fluctuations will cease.”
“They [AmaZulu] are coming off a loss to Chippa [United], so I think it will be a difficult game since they will want to get points. I believe they lost two games, tied two and won three. I do not anticipate Sunday’s game to be an easy one.”
Mbule just made his debut for Bafana Ba Style against Cape Town City in the opening game of the season and is a vital cog in The Brazilians’ midfield. The midfield wizard is convinced that the Tshwane giants will defeat Usuthu despite the teams’ previous neck-and-neck encounters. “I believe we will win our games, as none of our performances are comparable. As we began competing against [Golden] Arrows, I believe we were inconsistent and inconsistent, but I believe we are regaining our footing today. Still, I don’t believe it will be an easy game because they have strong players.”
“I am ecstatic; ever since I began the other game, I’ve been looking forward to beginning one game at a time. As a player, when you start in one game, you’ll want to start in as many games as possible; this has strengthened my confidence and I believe I’m at the correct place.
Masandawana will honor former captain Hlompho, who led the team to six Premiership League titles, the 2016 CAF Champions League, and the 2017 CAF Super League. Previous to joining Sundown. Before transferring to Chloorkop, Kekana was one of the most accomplished players in the Premier Soccer League, having enjoyed a 10-year career with the Champions side in which he played in over 350 matches and won two league titles.
Mamelodi Sundowns face AmaZulu on September 18 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in the DStv Premiership. The match will be aired live on SuperSport at 15:00 GMT.