Ndlovu vows Sundowns will ‘fight with everything’ to overturn Arrows defeat

Siyanda Ndlovu has promised Mamelodi Sundowns supporters that his side will give everything to overturn a first-leg deficit against Golden Arrows and reach the MTN8 final.

Sundowns travel to King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday for the second leg of their semi-final having lost 1-0 at home to the KwaZulu-Natal club last weekend.

The match will see Ndlovu return to the club that helped establish him in the South African game. He previously played for Golden Arrows before moving to Sundowns, exchanging one yellow shirt for another.

His focus, however, is now on helping the Tshwane giants keep their MTN8 campaign alive. The tournament’s branding also features the same shade of yellow associated with both clubs.

Ndlovu started the opening leg at Lucas Moripe Stadium but was unable to make the desired impact as Sundowns struggled to break down Arrows. The defending challenge is now clear: they must overturn a one-goal deficit away from home if they are to progress to the final.

“It’s a big game that won’t be easy. What I can promise the fans is that we will fight with everything we have. We should score goals and that will make us prevail. I think they (Golden Arrows) will come with the same strategy that we played, so we will be able to plan for that strategy. We ask the supporters to come in their numbers and we promise that we will work hard to win the game,” Ndlovu told the Sundowns media department.

Sundowns are expected to make changes to their starting XI after their disappointing display in the first meeting.

Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and midfielder Teboho Mokoena are both expected to return to the line-up for the decisive second leg.

Brayan Leon, who was named among the substitutes for the first match, is also in contention to start. The Colombian strengthened his case by scoring a spectacular goal in Sundowns’ game against AmaZulu on Wednesday.

Sundowns will need a result at King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium to keep their hopes of lifting the MTN8 alive. The club are aiming to reach the competition’s final for the first time since 2023, while Golden Arrows will attempt to protect the advantage earned in Pretoria.

Ndlovu believes Sundowns can counter the approach used by Arrows in the first leg, with the visitors expecting their opponents to adopt a similar strategy on Sunday. He has called on supporters to attend in large numbers as Sundowns attempt to produce the goals required to turn the tie in their favour.

The second leg therefore carries added significance for Ndlovu, who will face his former club with a place in the MTN8 final at stake.