Having already missed out in two domestic cup competitions in the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout, Rulani Mokwena and his Mamelodi Sundowns juggernaut will undeniably be more than eager to advance to the next stage of the Nedbank Cup and ultimately go all the way to win it.
But standing in their way is Maritzburg United, a side that has more than enough data about Sundowns, having played against them in the premiership for several years before being relegated to the Motsepe Foundation Championship in the National First Division last season.
The Team of Choice, as Maritzburg United are affectionately known, will be up in arms when they tackle the reigning DStv Premiership champions in the last Nedbank Cup round of 16 encounter at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville this evening at 6pm.
Despite Sundowns being the most feared team in the PSL and sailing through to the last 16 after smashing NB La Masia 6-1 in the last round, Mokwena said playing against lower-division teams was never easy, especially in the “giant slaying” cup competition.
“These games are very tough, and the difficulty is that everybody expects you to win, so the pressure is on you, and you have to perform on the day, and it’s not easy,” Mokwena said ahead of the game.
“You have to be prepared and ensure that mentally you are in the right space. The players must get into the expectation of the right performance. If we can perform to that level, then we’ll be fine.”
After being held to a frustrating 1-1 stalemate by Tshwane rivals SuperSport United midweek, Masandawana will be expected to produce a commanding performance and positive result against a team that is in the bottom half of the championship log standings.
The Team of Choice, headed by coach Simo Dladla, will also be expected to give the Brazilians a run for their money as they have a number of experienced players, such as striker Judas Moseamedi, midfielders Zukile Kewuti and Siboniso Conco, to mention but a few.
The Nedbank Cup has already lived up to its nature of producing upsetting results, with the likes of Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows both crashing out of the competition at the hands of lower-division teams.
