Mamelodi Sundowns will be on the pursuit to reach their ninth semi-final in the Nedbank Cup when they take a short trip to a familiar yard, the Lucas Moripe Stadium, on Friday evening for a clash against NFD side, University of Pretoria FC in the quarterfinals.
After progressing to the quarterfinals following a 2-0 victory against Maritzburg United in the Round of 16, it will be crucial for the Brazilians to get the desired results and advance to the semifinal round, which is a stage they missed in the previous season. Previewing the clash against their Pretoria counterparts, coach Rulani stated that his side will not be resting on their laurels and will head to the encounter with respect for AmaTuks.
“We try to focus more on respecting the opposition. Tuks are a good side with a very good coach who strives because in my youth days, I’d see him at the Tuks training facilities coaching the juniors. He is someone I have great respect for. They’ve got a very good side which is very strong on transition, second balls, direct attacks and putting pressure in the box. One will have to go with a lot of respect because we want to ourselves in the semi-final of this competition but to do that, we will have to work very hard,” he said.
Furthermore, the Masandawana coach emphasised that leaders have to be in good standing for the players to feed off positive energy from them. He further mentioned that he is following in his predecessor’s footsteps in ensuring that the standard of the Club is maintained.
“We haven’t been in this position in a very long time where at this point in the season we are still competing for three trophies. As the leadership we have to be at the top of our game and we show the energy and desire that the players have to feed off from. We just want to give more and more to the season,” coach Rulani highlighted.
“We want to leave the jersey better than we found it. The level is very high and the standard has been set. We are a club that’s trying to entrench itself as one of the best not just in South Africa but in the continent too. We want to be the group that is remembered to have given their all even in the midst of some of the sacrifices that we have had to make and the suffering we have had to undergo,” he concluded.
Mamelodi Sundowns will look to advance to the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup when they go head-to-head with AmaTuks on Friday evening at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. Kick off is scheduled for 19H00, live on SuperSport TV.
Thank you Coach but the criticism for the team is lack of hunger,there is too much complacency even when supposed to win easy we complicate life for ourselves.
There must be passion for winning especially since we dominate position.
Please we need players that want to score goals. Please play serino , mbule and mendieta Siyaqela
Mbule does not take his football career serious. At some stage the boy had lost so much weight and he was playing regularly, especially last year in the CAF Champions League, now he’s gone back to his normal weight. The coach needs to give Mabena and Aubaas more game time. I saw him shouting at Aubaas, and to me Aubaas was our best player on the field. Mendieta and Seabi should also be given chances. He needs to rest Mokoena, Allende and Zwane for the longest time
Coach doesn’t listen and doesn’t deserve to coach team of Sundowns magnitude. Sundowns look so average against small teams like Tuks.
We do not score a lot of goals and we seem not to know what to do when we are faced with a low block. Come up with ways and means to break the low block. All the teams are going to throw the low block and it means, we are going to struggle going forward.
Average is an understatement…. imagine..Neo missing clear cut…look where we are…now we hoping for Williams again..for how long vele…I think losing this game will bring..Rhulani back to planet earth…kuma interview he’s too relaxed..
Sis!!..man…sesokhuluma ke manje .on the roads sidliwe ama ameturs
Morning masandawana, it is time the coach the way we play Caz it seems like every opponent we play prefer low block and our have plan B, if it goes on like this we gona lose more games
This Rulani coach is gradually destroying our beloved team,he doesn’t supporters who go to the stadium and the sacrifice the made for attending the games only t watch Mvala,Kekana and Williams playing among each other while others waiting 4ever for the ball to come to them.I even heard supporters shouting at them for playing the ball at the back during extra time.Now I understand why Manqoba was coming from when he said “this is not England”.You can’t be a Christian and practice Muslim culture.Those three players had more touches at the back than all the players on the pitch hence we are struggling to score goals.Zwane is always kept on the pitch long time for doing nothing,at least Mabena tried to propel the team,I agree Aubaas played his heart out.We scored nice and early and started to play nonsense of building from the back.It’s painful to see teams like Stellies playing free flowing and enterprising football while Rulani is making our team to struggle with the quality of players at our disposal,you will never be Pep,and Pep’s team doesn’t score three goals in four games in a row.You need to do self introspection because your are surely the the elephant in the room.