“The Best Two Teams”: Ramagalela Endorses Blockbuster Pirates-Sundowns MTN8 Final
Former Mamelodi Sundowns striker Rodney Ramagalela believes Saturday’s MTN8 final between Orlando Pirates and the Brazilians at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium delivers exactly what South African football fans wanted.
The showpiece in Durban pits South Africa’s two dominant forces against each other. Orlando Pirates enter as defending champions after securing a remarkable domestic treble last season—including the MTN8, Carling Knockout, and their first league title in 14 years.
By contrast, Mamelodi Sundowns experienced their first season without a domestic trophy since 2012/13. Interestingly, in that season, Sundowns lost the Carling Knockout Cup final to Bloemfontein Celtic following a controversial ‘ghost goal’ scored by Joel Mogorosi at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Despite missing out on domestic silverware, Sundowns enjoyed a memorable campaign in Africa, winning the CAF Champions League for only the second time in their history and becoming the first South African club to achieve the feat twice.
“This is what supporters and football people want: Sundowns facing Pirates right now,” said Ramagalela, who made 19 appearances for Sundowns during his career.
“They are the two best teams in the country. For me, I wouldn’t want it any other way. To be fair, both Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns fully deserve to be in this final because of how well they have been performing. It is fantastic for the competition and the sponsor.”
A victory for Orlando Pirates on Saturday would see the Soweto giants match Kaizer Chiefs’ all-time record of 15 MTN8 titles.
“I won’t say too much about Kaizer Chiefs—they have started the season reasonably well,” Ramagalela added. “For them, it is about turning draws into victories as they rebuild.”
However, while the final pits two of the best teams in the country against each other, it comes after an extended FIFA international break.
Several players who could feature on Saturday have been involved in three matches for Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana, including two 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and a glamour friendly against Egypt.
There are concerns that the extended break could affect the rhythm of the teams and potentially reduce the spectacle.
“The headache is only for the coaches. The players – we are talking about Orlando Pirates and Sundowns – have the best facilities in terms of recovery, getting information to the players and analysis,” argued Ramagalela.
“I think it is going to come down to the coaches and which players are ready for this game.”
Dismissing suggestions that the league should have scheduled fixture warm-ups prior to the showpiece, Ramagalela stressed that international-caliber players thrive under these exact conditions.
“I wouldn’t say it will be lost because you are talking about the big teams that know how to do things, how to control things inside the pitch,” replied Ramagalela.
“You are talking about international players who understand the type of game that is going to be played. It is something I believe the coaches have already touched on and made sure that they prepared the minds of the players very well for them to come out stronger than when they went to the FIFA break.”
