The South African giants looked rusty in their second match in as many days, failing to take the chances created.
Mamelodi Sundowns recorded their second consecutive loss in the pre-season, after falling by a solitary goal against Ukrainian heavyweights Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday at Worgl Sports Stadium.
Having lost 2-1 on Tuesday against SV Sandhurst, the Premier Soccer League champions had hoped for a better outing against the Black and White. However, from the first whistle, the Brazilians struggled to get their usual flair and the coordination they are used to.
It was obvious most of the players were lacking match fitness which was seen from their movements and sloppiness on and off the ball.
The South Africans were punished inside the first 20 minutes when Senegal international Bamba Diallo beat the defenders before slipping the ball past goalkeeper Jody February.
Even after the break, Sundowns' rustiness in front of the goal was evident as the attackers missed some good opportunities to, at least, ensure the spoils were shared.
The next game for Masandawana will be on Tuesday, July 23 against Cardiff City where the technical bench will be hoping to see notable changes tactically and most probably a win against the Championship side.
It is a ‘normal storm'
In his interview with the Sundowns Pitchside Podcast, Steve Komphela – who made a return to the team to help Manqoba Mngqithi, stated things will not fall in place at a go, but eventually they will get it right after Rulani Mokwena's exit.
“I’m looking forward to the season with the changes [but] it is obviously going to be a moment of new development,” he stated prior to the game against Dynamo Kyiv.
“Then it goes back to what I once said and somebody was laughing at me when I said it, ‘in any team development, sugar, there are five stages Bruce Tuckman once spoke about. He said, ‘When you form a new or develop a new brand, it is the forming phase, then you have the storming phase, then the norming phase, then the performing phase, and then excellence.'
“So now at the beginning, there is going to be a storm, which is normal.”
