The new 2025/26 campaign is upon us, and Mamelodi Sundowns will look to assert their dominance very early in the season when they take on Richards Bay FC in the MTN8 quarterfinal on Sunday evening at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.
The MTN8 is a title that has been evading the Pretoria-based side, having last won it back in 2021 against Cape Town City. In the 2024 edition, they were knocked out in the semifinals after losing both legs against Stellenbosch FC.
The new season brings another opportunity to fulfil one of the Club’s ambitions, which is winning their 5th WafaWafa title. The battle between the KwaZulu-Natal side and Downs will be for a place in the two-legged semifinal round of the competition.
The tricky Natal Rich Boys concluded the 2024/25 campaign on a positive note, and while Masandawana were the stronger side in all their meetings this season, this fixture promises to be a difficult yet exciting one.
Speaking to forward Lucas Ribeiro, the Brazilian-born player previewed the encounter, declaring the intention of winning the match and the cup as a whole.
“It’s a very important game, and we will need to leave everything on the pitch. We will need to push until the very end to ensure we walk away with a positive result, so we can hopefully win the cup. We anticipate a good game and we can’t wait to be reunited with the Yellow Nation,” he said.
Mamelodi Sundowns will host Richards Bay in the MTN8 quarterfinal on Sunday evening at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. Kick-off has been scheduled for 18H00, live on SuperSport TV.
