Sunday’s DStv Diski Challenge action is headlined by two sides which are holding the 4th and 5th position on the table. The Mamelodi Sundowns Diski Team will be looking to walk away with maximum points when they face the Amazulu FC Reserves on Sunday afternoon at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.
Masanadawana head to this away fixture on the back of a triumph against Polokwane City, whom they defeated 3-2 at home. They will also be heading to this encounter without a few of their players, who have been called up for national duty. This means the starting squad will be consolidated with a few new faces, especially on a festival set up. We will further be seeing some players who were out on suspension make a return. The Diski assistant coach, Phuphu Mohlaba, spoke on the readiness of the team, stating that they are upbeat, despite not having the full squad.
“The preparations have been going well. We know that Amazulu are a very difficult team with a lot of good players. They are confident with the ball, they try to move around the ball very deceptive and they play with a lot of intensity. So, we are prepared for that. The boys have been working hard in training and we’ve been trying to improve ourselves. The last three games unfortunately, in terms of results, we haven’t done well but we did a lot better against Polokwane with a better performance, and that’s what we want to build on,” he stated.
“Firstly, we are proud of the boys who are in the U20. Congratulations to them for helping the team get to the COSAFA Championship final and qualifying for the 2025 U20 AFCON, which is a great accomplishment, and we are so excited for them. On the return of the suspended players, it’s always good to have them back. We will see how things go with the selection,” he continued.
On the players Downs should look out for in this fixture, coach Phuphu mentioned a player but went on to say that the overall Amazulu side is a difficult one to play against. He said: “their number 10 is a very good player and very confident. He is of high quality and even last season against us he played very well. I think overall, to be honest, they just have a really good team. You can see they are well coached and the Club’s very organised in what they are trying to achieve on the pitch. It’s going to be a difficult game, but we are trying our best to prepare for it.”
The Mamelodi Sundowns Diski Team will be hosted by the Amazulu FC Reserves on Sunday afternoon in another festival at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 13H00, live on SuperSport TV.
