Mamelodi Sundowns eye Nedbank Cup glory to cement domestic rule

For all their domination of the domestic championship, Mamelodi Sundowns’ record in local knockout competitions has not provided much to write home about.

League champions a record seven times in a row, the Brazilians are revered as the kings of South African football. But their failure to win knockout competitions during that period has somewhat served to undermine their dominance. It is a status quo Miguel Cardoso and his men are hard-pressed to change, particularly now with the league title, for once, not guaranteed.

The task will not be easy, however, with Sundowns’ path to Nedbank Cup glory requiring them to overcome a difficult opponent in the form of TS Galaxy, whom they meet in Saturday afternoon’s Last 16 round in KwaMhlanga.

Champions of the inaugural Nedbank Cup way back in 2008 courtesy of Trott Moloto, it is somewhat of a travesty that the Premier League era’s most dominant team has added just three more titles since then.

The Brazilians reigned victorious under Pitso Mosimane in 2015 and 2020, with the duo of Manqoba Mngqithi and Rulani Mokwena bringing it home in 2022. Since then, they’ve watched in envy as Orlando Pirates completed a hat-trick of successes before Kaizer Chiefs denied them a fourth in the final last year.

Though their major focus might be on continental glory, such is Sundowns’ ambitious nature that they look to win every competition they play in—and that spells danger for the 2019 champions who host them at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium.

Cardoso said this of the tie in the pre-match media conference: “This Nedbank Cup is an important fixture; an important match, an important competition. (Winning it) for us is clearly an objective. So we have to gather the proper energy in order to face a very difficult game and match.”

Such is Sundowns' hectic schedule that Cardoso is sure to go the rotation route and rest most of the players who were in action against Pirates for this one. Yet, such is the depth in quality at Chloorkop that the difference is unlikely to be seen.

And as strong a side as Galaxy are, they are unlikely to stop Sundowns making it three big wins on the trot following those wins over MC Alger and Pirates. Furthermore, Brayan Leon is also on a hat-trick of braces.