By KOPANO MONAHENG
You would think that winning the Betway Premiership title eight seasons in a row would make Mamelodi Sundowns relax a bit. Not a chance.
Masandawana defender Aubrey Modiba says the pain of losing the league title to Orlando Pirates at the eleventh hour last season is still fresh, even though the Tshwane giants went on to lift the CAF Champions League trophy.
“For me the feeling was not nice losing the league because some of us have never experienced that. And for us, we want to go back to that thing of winning the league every season because you win the league, you go back to champions league and, and you always want to do well in the champions league,” he said.
For Modiba, winning Africa’s biggest club competition was a proud moment, but it did not erase the disappointment of watching the league title slip away. That is exactly why Sundowns are going all out this season. The message from Chloorkop is simple they want every trophy on offer.
“I think we haven’t won a local tournament in four or five years. We really want to go back to winning local tournaments.”
Their mission continues this weekend when they welcome Polokwane City in an MTN8 quarter-final that promises fireworks. Kick-off is at 6pm. Last season many people expected Rise and Shine to cause Sundowns problems when the two sides met in the league. Instead, Masandawana handled business, beating the Limpopo outfit twice in the space of seven days. But this one is a different ball game.
League points are no longer on the table. It’s a knockout match where one mistake can send you packing. That’s what makes the MTN8 special – it’s all or nothing. With millions of rand in prize money up for grabs and a place in the semi-finals at stake, expect both teams to come out guns blazing. Sundowns may start as favourites, but Polokwane City will be eager to prove they can spoil the party. “We’re not going to take them for granted. We know anything can happen. So for us, just make sure we do well and go to the next round,” he said.
Modiba was never shy to talk about their excitement of getting a second star. “This star will be there forever, they’re going to talk about it for years to come. And our names are going to be mentioned. We’re going to be part of that history.”
Tickets are available at Computicket.
