Pirates told why they shouldn’t hope to beat Sundowns in MTN8 final

Mamelodi Sundowns are better placed to beat Orlando Pirates this weekend in MTN8 final by virtue of winning a trophy recently, according to Sphelele Mkhulise.

Bucs have won the last four editions, and are aiming at making it five in a row. The last time Masandawana were crowned in the competition was way back in 2021 when they beat Cape Town City on penalties following a 1-1 draw in both regulation and extra time.

The Brazilians beat Golden Arrows in the semi-final to advance while the Sowet giants went past Sekhukhune United.

Sundowns have some sort of advantage

The 28-year-old Sundowns midfielder has justified why he feels they are better placed to beat the Buccaneers.

“Heading into this game, I think we do have some sort of advantage and upper hand because we recently won a trophy,” Mkhulise opened up to the media.

“Mamelodi Sundowns will never be underdogs, so that alone will always give us an edge against our opponents. We have the best leadership, coaches and players in the club, so we will always have an advantage,” he added.

Downs determined to win MTN8

Meanwhile, Arthur Sales has underlined the importance of beating the defending champions on Sunday in Durban.

The South American insists it is the main challenge that coach Miguel Cardoso has put on players is to win the annual competition.

“When the year started, the coach said, ‘I want to fight for this cup [MTN8],’ because Cardoso hasn’t won this one yet. We want this cup,” he concluded.