Both coaches Molefi Ntseki and Rulani Mokwena have made it clear that they'll treat the first leg of the MTN8 semifinals as a one-off fixture, without really obsessing about the return leg.
Chiefs host Sundowns in the first fixture of the two-legged MTN8 last four at FNB Stadium tomorrow (3pm). The return leg is billed for Lucas Moripe Stadium on September 23. Ntseki explained why they would not afford to cast one eye on the return leg already tomorrow.
“In a cup game, you don’t plan for the future because you have to put the base right,” Ntseki told the media at PSL offices in Parktown yesterday.
“The second leg will take care of itself. Why? Because we have matches to play in-between [they play Royal AM on September 16 and SuperSport United four days later in the league before the second leg], so our approach has always been that each game we play is a cup final.”
Mokwena also emphasised that they would treat the first leg as a one-off tie. “We have to play it as a one-off and try to get a result that gives us good possibilities to approach the second leg with good confidence. The mentality for us this season is to prepare as best as we can and try to win every single match,” Mokwena noted.
Before the MTN8 second leg, Sundowns play Burundian side Bumamuru away in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round on September 15, before visiting Orlando Pirates for a league match four days later.
As last season they ended up bagging only the league title, Mokwena has not hidden that as a team they feel that they have what it takes to make a clean sweep of trophies this time around.
“We are in a very good space to be able to dream of winning every trophy. We are in a space where we try to influence a lot of what we can do by focusing on the process of wanting to win,” Mokwena said.
Meanwhile, Ntseki confirmed that new striker Efmamjjasond Gonzalez Palacios was still waiting for his paperwork, saying he was likely to be given his debut after the upcoming Fifa break.
Ntseki and Mokwena promise all-out attack tomorrow
Chiefs, Downs to go gung-ho in first leg tie
Image: Gallo Images/Lefty Shivambu
Both coaches Molefi Ntseki and Rulani Mokwena have made it clear that they'll treat the first leg of the MTN8 semifinals as a one-off fixture, without really obsessing about the return leg.
Chiefs host Sundowns in the first fixture of the two-legged MTN8 last four at FNB Stadium tomorrow (3pm). The return leg is billed for Lucas Moripe Stadium on September 23. Ntseki explained why they would not afford to cast one eye on the return leg already tomorrow.
“In a cup game, you don’t plan for the future because you have to put the base right,” Ntseki told the media at PSL offices in Parktown yesterday.
“The second leg will take care of itself. Why? Because we have matches to play in-between [they play Royal AM on September 16 and SuperSport United four days later in the league before the second leg], so our approach has always been that each game we play is a cup final.”
Mokwena also emphasised that they would treat the first leg as a one-off tie. “We have to play it as a one-off and try to get a result that gives us good possibilities to approach the second leg with good confidence. The mentality for us this season is to prepare as best as we can and try to win every single match,” Mokwena noted.
Before the MTN8 second leg, Sundowns play Burundian side Bumamuru away in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round on September 15, before visiting Orlando Pirates for a league match four days later.
As last season they ended up bagging only the league title, Mokwena has not hidden that as a team they feel that they have what it takes to make a clean sweep of trophies this time around.
“We are in a very good space to be able to dream of winning every trophy. We are in a space where we try to influence a lot of what we can do by focusing on the process of wanting to win,” Mokwena said.
Meanwhile, Ntseki confirmed that new striker Efmamjjasond Gonzalez Palacios was still waiting for his paperwork, saying he was likely to be given his debut after the upcoming Fifa break.
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