Sundowns’ Cup Final Woes Continue Despite League Dominance
Mamelodi Sundowns’ recent struggles in domestic cup finals have left coach Manqoba Mngqithi puzzled, especially considering their dominance in the league. Despite consistently being one of the most formidable teams in South African football, Sundowns have now suffered three consecutive cup final defeats, a trend that has raised questions. Their most recent setback came in the Carling Knockout final against Magesi in Bloemfontein on Saturday, following a similar 2-1 loss to Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final in June. Prior to that, Sundowns were also edged by Pirates in the MTN8 final, with the match being decided by a penalty shootout.
Mngqithi admitted his team is struggling to fathom why their cup performances have fallen short despite their strong showings throughout the season. "We’ve gone into a spell where things are just not going our way in cup matches," he said, reflecting on their recent finals. He recalled the Nedbank Cup final, where Sundowns dominated possession with a 70-30 advantage but ultimately lost after Pirates scored late in the game. “We did everything right again, but unfortunately, in the latter stages of the game, they created a goal out of nothing, and we lost the final,” Mngqithi added.
The Carling Knockout, in particular, had seemed to be Sundowns’ competition to lose. They had scored 12 goals and conceded none in their journey to the final, making their loss even more frustrating. "It is very unfortunate that in a competition where you have scored 12 goals in four matches and only conceded two, but we leave without the cup," Mngqithi remarked. Despite the team’s strong performances, Sundowns were unable to secure victory when it mattered most.
Mngqithi remained philosophical about the outcome, acknowledging that football often brings unpredictable results. "Sometimes you lose matches you don’t deserve to lose, and sometimes you win matches you don’t deserve to win," he said, suggesting that such disappointments are part of the game. While Sundowns’ league dominance is undisputed, their continued cup failures remain a bitter pill to swallow for the team and their supporters.
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