Rama G says MTN8 final means more to Sundowns than continental success

MTN8 ambassador Rodney Ramagalela believes Mamelodi Sundowns’ meeting with Orlando Pirates in the domestic cup final carries greater significance than the club’s CAF Champions League and Continental Cup triumphs.

Sundowns have lifted the MTN8 once since the competition began in 2008, beating Cape Town City in the 2021 final. They have reached the final four times, but lost on three occasions.

Their fifth appearance in the showpiece comes on October 10th, when they face Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Sundowns will be seeking revenge after losing to the same opponents at the same venue in the 2023 final.

Ramagalela, who represented Sundowns between 2013 and 2016, told iDiski Times that the importance of the match goes beyond the trophy itself because of the identity of the opposition.

“He [Miguel Cardoso] is standing a very good chance of winning it going into the final. It’s a chance itself so you just have to go play 90 minutes and make sure that you score more goals than the opponents,” Ramagalela said.

The former Sundowns player believes the team’s recent victory over Al-Ahli in the Continental Cup should strengthen its belief ahead of the final.

“With him, that mentality of winning after beating Al-Ahli in the Continental Cup says a lot and it encourages the players to say you know what if we can beat the high-profile team like Al-Ahli why not Orlando Pirates although this one matters [MTN8] as much as all the trophies that they’ve won, the CAF Champions League and the Continental Cup.”

Ramagalela said domestic honours can carry particular weight in South Africa because they require a team to overcome the strongest opponents within the country.

“In South Africa these domestic cup they matters more than the continental cups. You have to be the best in South Africa by beating the best in South Africa.”

Sundowns’ dominance of the league has set a benchmark the club wants to maintain. They have won the title for eight consecutive seasons, while Pirates were champions last season and have claimed the MTN8 four times in a row.

“Remember, they’ve won the league for eight seasons in a row, that says a lot, and they have set the standard; they want to go back to that standard. Still, they have to beat Orlando Pirates who have won the league last season, who has been winning the MTN8 for the fourth time in a row it’s something that Sundowns wants to set the bar to say we are better than Orlando Pirates, we will beat them in the final.

“I believe those are the words that are circulating in Mamelodi Sundowns camp.”