Mamelodi Sundowns ex-defender Dan Semake was not impressed with the way the defending Premier Soccer League champions played in their latest outing against Mpheni Defenders.
Masandawana, who were reduced to 10 players after Tashreeq Matthews was sent off, struggled to beat minnows Mpheni Home Defenders at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, on Sunday in the Nedbank Cup Round of 16.
The two goals of the match were scored by Matthews and Bathusi Aubaas but the performance from the Brazilians was not convincing. Semake has now questioned the mentality of the players when playing against a small team.
‘They took things too easily'
“Yesterday, Sundowns dropped their playing tempo. They seemed too relaxed; they took things too easily, and for me, there is no easy game for Sundowns. It doesn't matter what level their opponents are at,” he said as quoted by SNL24.
“As a club, they still have depth, but it ultimately boils down to the mentality and attitude of the players, regardless of who is replacing someone else. In South Africa, we have a problem where players' attitudes change if they don’t make the team several times.
“Such issues don’t exist in Europe – over there, they take their jobs seriously. As for Mpheni Home Defenders' performance, I believe that any team playing against Sundowns doesn’t need extra motivation. They step up their game.”
‘Now give us Amakhosi or the Buccaneers'
The former defender hopes Sundowns can be paired against either Kaizer Chiefs of Orlando Pirates in the last eight.
“I wish we draw clubs like Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in the quarterfinals,” Semake continued.
“Our players’ mentality automatically shifts when facing these teams. They don’t even need the coach’s motivation against such clubs. However, our performance tends to drop against smaller clubs, and I don’t know why,” he concluded.
