Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Themba Zwane openly acknowledged his team’s struggles in the MTN8, but expressed determination to improve this season.

“True, we always start slow in this tournament, but this season, we just want to start on a high. We will try to fight and win the trophy. We are sure it’s not going to be easy, but our preparation will help us play well,” said Zwane. 

Sundowns have reached the MTN8 finals four times since 2008, winning once in a penalty shootout against Cape Town City in 2021/22. They were eliminated by Orlando Pirates in the semifinals the following season and lost to the same opponents in last season’s final, also on penalties.

Despite these setbacks, newly appointed coach Manqoba Mngqithi believes their delayed fixture could be advantageous.

“Obviously, we did not have as much time as other teams, but we were fortunate that our first match is going to be on the 11 August which gives us a little bit more time because we could only go for 60 minutes with most of the players. Now, we level the opportunity to go beyond that in the forthcoming week,” said Mngqithi.

Sundowns will begin their MTN8 campaign against Polokwane City at Lucas Moripe Stadium next weekend.