Ndlovu turns doubts into motivation after Sundowns’ MTN8 triumph

Siyanda ‘Skhwishi’ Ndlovu says doubts about whether he could establish himself at Mamelodi Sundowns helped drive him on after he played a key role in their 2-0 MTN8 final victory over Orlando Pirates.

The winger came on in the second half at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday and made an immediate impact, winning the stoppage-time penalty converted by Iqraam Rayners to secure Sundowns’ victory.

The result gave Sundowns their fifth MTN8 title and denied Orlando Pirates a historic fifth successive triumph.

For Ndlovu, the success was also his second trophy since joining Sundowns and his first MTN8 winners’ medal.

“I’m very happy to have won my second trophy for the club but more than anything, I hadn’t played the MTN8 before this season so my one wish was to win it as soon as I played the competition so I’m glad that’s happened now,” he told the media.

Ndlovu’s move to Chloorkop was one of the most closely followed transfers, particularly after he had appeared set to join Orlando Pirates before making a late change of direction.

His arrival at a squad already packed with established attacking players led to questions over how often he would play and whether he could secure a regular place.

However, the 23-year-old says those doubts strengthened his determination rather than undermining his confidence.

“Those remarks actually pushed me, the fact that I’m coming into a team that has quality players means I must compete to be able to claim my position so those that made those remarks actually helped me,” he said.

Ndlovu also believes his time at Golden Arrows made adapting to Sundowns easier. He pointed to similarities between the football played by both clubs, particularly during his time under former Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi.

“In terms of adjusting, I think it was easy for me because the kind of football we play here is similar to how we played at Golden Arrows under coach Manqoba Mngqithi so they made the transition easier,” he added.

Against Pirates, Ndlovu offered Sundowns a direct attacking option from the bench. His willingness to run at defenders helped maintain their threat before his late surge into the area led to the penalty that settled the final.

The next challenge for the winger will be to build on that decisive substitute appearance and turn his influence from the bench into consistent performances from the start.

Sundowns remain committed to competing for more silverware on multiple fronts, while Ndlovu looks to force his way into a starting role.

After the final, Ndlovu celebrated with Cassius Mailula as Sundowns lifted the trophy at Moses Mabhida Stadium.