Sundowns take 1-0 lead into MTN8 semi-final second leg at Golden Arrows

Mamelodi Sundowns will defend a one-goal advantage when they face Golden Arrows in the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Sede Dion’s strike was enough to give Sundowns a 1-0 victory over Arrows at Lucas Moripe Stadium last weekend, leaving Pitso Dladla’s side in front before the decisive meeting.

The result means Golden Arrows must score if they are to overturn the deficit and reach the MTN8 final. Miguel Cardoso’s team are expected to adopt an attacking approach as they attempt to recover from the first-leg defeat on home territory.

Arrows will draw encouragement from their most recent meeting with Sundowns at the King Zwelithini Stadium. Their previous home game against the Pretoria club ended in a 1-0 victory for Golden Arrows last season.

Both teams also secured important league wins on Wednesday. Sundowns restored some momentum by beating AmaZulu FC 5-2 in the Betway Premiership, while Golden Arrows recorded their first league victory of the campaign with a 1-0 success against Stellenbosch FC.

Sundowns’ starting line-up includes Williams, Kekana, Ndamane, Morena, Basadien, Allende, Mokoena, Matthews, Ndlovu, Mailula and Leon.

Their substitutes are Goss, Van Wyk, Mdunyelwa, Modiba, Mkhulise, Zwane, Khoza, B. Mokoena and Rayners.

Golden Arrows’ starting XI has yet to be confirmed.

The match will be played on 30 August 2026 at the King Zwelithini Stadium, with Sundowns carrying the narrow advantage from the opening leg.

The away side will seek to build on the confidence gained from their five-goal league performance, while Golden Arrows will aim to use their first win of the Betway Premiership season as a platform for a comeback.

With only one goal separating the teams, Sundowns remain in control of the tie but cannot afford to rely solely on their first-leg result. Golden Arrows know that victory by two clear goals would overturn the aggregate score, while a one-goal win would leave the semi-final finely balanced according to the competition’s outcome.