The long-awaited Premier Soccer League season officially kicked off yesterday, and with the MTN8 quarterfinal matches in full swing, Richards Bay will be looking to cause an upset when they meet Mamelodi Sundowns at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville this evening.
The Natal Rich Boyz will be participating in the top eight competition for the first time in the club’s history, after finishing eighth last season in the Betway Premiership.
Lying ahead of United is a mammoth Sundowns task, but coach Ronnie Gabriel said his side will be going into the match under no pressure and are not just adding numbers in the competition.
“Going into the fixture, there is not too much pressure on us. We want to go and compete, but play with a lot of freedom as well. This will give us a chance to gauge ourselves against one of the best teams in Africa. And we saw in the Club World Cup, Sundowns can punch against the big teams in the world as well,” Gabriel said ahead of the game.
“We’re happy about that opportunity to be in the top eight. We know how we started last season. We were right at the bottom of the table, in 15th and 16th places. But we clawed our way back and ended up in the top eight.
“So, it was beyond our wildest expectations when we were at the bottom of the league table. And now we just must go there and cause an upset against Sundowns,” he said.
Despite the confidence Richards Bay are showing going into the match today, the reigning PSL champions will not be fazed as they are desperate to lift the MTN8 trophy that has been dominated by Orlando Pirates since 2021.
“We want to start the season very well. This is a game where we want to show up. We want to win this trophy,” said Sundowns defender Keanu Cupido.
Cupido joined the Brazilians during the January transfer this year, but has already seemingly cemented his place in the starting line-up after playing in all matches at the Club World Cup in the US recently.
In the other match, high-flying Stellenbosch FC will welcome the rejuvenated AmaZulu in the winelands.
Stellenbosch want to continue where they left off last season, while Usuthu have beefed up their squad with some clever signings.
