Mamelodi Sundowns are preparing for their second match in the DStv Premiership after collecting maximum points on the road last week Friday. The Brazilians got off to a monumental start in their title defense to boost their confidence in the new season and remind the oppositions of their dominating football presence, meanwhile the visiting TS Galaxy played to a goalless draw in their preliminary fixture. Downs Co-Coach Rulani Mokwena noted the changes that the Mbombela based team will bring to this clash.
“We should be getting a very good performance, the players look to be in good spirits, [they have] good energy and we are looking forward to the match. They’ve still got the experience of [Lindokuhle] Mbatha, and now they have the experience of [Sibusiso Vilakazi] Vila and Xola Mlambo in the midfield to give them a little bit of stability. [There is Given] Msimango who missed huge parts of last season, he’s looking strong, fit and back to his best.”
“[They are] a quality side and we know that we have to play exceptionally well, but also with possibilities of making sure that we dominate the game and put our best performance with a lot of aggression and energy because that’s what they also put on the pitch, they are very aggressive and it should be a very, very good game.”
The Rockets will be hoping to get better results than they managed in the past four encounters against the Tshwane Giants which they are yet to defeat or get past the defense to register goals. Bafana Ba Style are favorites coming into this battle, despite their infield dominance over the opponents, Galaxy was one of the teams in contention for relegation at the end of the previous season as they finished amongst the bottom half of the log on number thirteen with seven wins, nine draws and fourteen games lost.
“I think TS Galaxy’s story is a continuation from last season, they haven’t made too many changes to the squad, [Sead] Ramovic now has a second season and he’s got his second preseason with the group and working with a team that is extremely familiar with. Their organizational forms are still very familiar to last season – clear playing style that looks for possibilities to build from the back and play through, and looks to dominate possession. It’s encouraging to see that they are brave and they continued that against AmaZulu where they played relatively very well.” Said Coach Rulani.
The Tshwane giants have become familiar with including women in their football culture through various initiatives and platforms to embrace their female counterparts. This year, the Yellow Nation will celebrate women across the globe and live it up in their first home match at Loftus versfeld in what they are calling “Women’s Month Wednesday”, with free entrance for theil female supporters. Coach Rulani complimented women for the role they play in society.
“A huge part of our growth and development, and even just being delivered on this earth is because of the bravery and the willingness of a woman to carry us, the women in my life [such as] my mother, my late grandmother they played an important role in who I am today and like many other women who are mother’s and who have delivered their kids and make sure that they guide and protect and instill very good values, so ours is to celebrate them and it’s good to see that Sundown’s has taken the beacon to be the ones in the forefront in celebrating imbokodo zethu.”
Mamelodi Sundowns clash with TS Galaxy in the DStv Premiership on Wednesday, 10 August at Loftus versfeld Stadium, kick off is 19h30. This game will be televised live on SuperSport TV.
My problem with you our coaches since the days of Pitso every season when the league starts we tend to experiment a lot not finding the rite players, today and Saturday we shouldn’t field Lebusa and Kutumela because those players are costing in most of our games.I’ll prefer Kekana and de Reich at the back especially in a game against Chiefs, Shalulile partnering with Erasmus or Nassir and lastly don’t even think of fielding D.Onyango.Kby forever
I agree 100% with you Muzi, I don’t know what our coaches see in Kutumela, Lebusa and Brian Onyango, they are costing us a lot, and I don’t know what problem they have with Kekana and De Reich, for me they are our best central defenders.
Masandawana there I’m with u,
This the worst game I have watched when sundowns plays! What a poor game from Mudau! He just runs like headless chicken! He does not lift up his head when crosses the ball! General what a poor game from the boys! The midfield of Mokoena, Maema and Domingo is dead and buried!
Worst game to watch indeed Skhumba. There was just no hunger from the players. It was difficult for me to even identify the players who were suitable for substitution, but even the players who came in were even worse. This thing of just circulating the ball in the middlefield is clearly not working. There’s no plan B from the coaches
What a wake-up call we got from TS Galaxy,this players were already thinking about Saturday game and undermine this team,the less not talk about Kutumela the better hope Saturday he’ll be on the bench.
Mina I won’t get angry about this game this things are happening in football now we gonna play going forward thinking that we are not invincible.
I thought that Downs4ever was overreacting in his comments over the weekend but I’ve noticed that some loses that we get are constructed from the bench by Mngqithi&Mokoena. I mean today’s game is no exception,Tebogo Mokoena hasn’t proven the need to be on the starting line up but these statues see Kutumela as the go to guy ahead of Sirino,but knowing very well the capabilities &abilities
of Sirino left right ¢re.But today everybody is having a tremble championship hungover of last season.I’ll say this repeatedly if we were or supposedly approached Capetown City’s Cupido or Fielies,we wouldn’t be stuck with this Morrocan defender’s work permit. But it’s not good losing a match ahead of a great encounter against Chiefs over the weekend,I hope Mngqithi&Mokoena won’t have this selection dilemma that they have.But let’s hope we’ll have positive results come next game
Kutumela in my view is still much better than Maema. Maema has sold us a dummy, the boy has become a very big liability. The big chance he got could’ve made a big difference
But why do we take 70 minutes..to substitute….I feel tired.. ngcono ngilale
Hardy Guys, i just hope against chiefs ,we do not play slow central defenders, such as Brian Onyango and Lebusa, otherwise the will be a lot of goals against us knowing the speedy trio of Billiat, Dolly and Du Preez. Kekana and De Reuk should be our centre backs, Tebogo Mokoena is lazy and is not better than Jali at all and even Cotzee.I still believe in Maema , perhaps we need Ralani, Nassir ,Sirino or Maboe instead of Domingo please. Williams is still doing well, the goal was not his at all, poor defending was the cause. Brian Onyango is a liability shame.All is not lost masandawana , we still gonna win this league, no need to panic.
I don’t understand 3 coaches cannot see what we see Kutumela is not the right player for us. Maema was flat. Domingo is trying too much to fit at sundowns. Let’s go back to our 11 scheme