No complacency here, insists star
A TEAM THAT IS DOWN THERE IS HARD TO FACE Sundowns are defending a proud record in the league.
Kennedy Mweene is wary of the risk Mamelodi Sundowns would take if they – even for one second – take Maritzburg for granted when they meet at Loftus Versfeld this evening.
The Brazilians square off with the Team of Choice who are languishing in the danger zone of the Absa Premiership. Mweene expects the Maritzburg players to up their game to impress their new coach Muhsin Ertugral.
“We know the dangers that they pose. It is always hard to play a team like Maritzburg because they have a new technical team. When the coach is new, players want to impress, you can see what is happening with Manchester United, the players raise their hands. It is always difficult in that situation,” said Mweene.
“A team that is down there is hard to face, especially when they are fighting for their lives. It won’t be an easy game. We just have to concentrate and collect the maximum points. We cannot take them for granted because they are down there. They are not playing badly, it is because luck is not on their side,” he added.
The Zambian international and his team-mates have gone full circle without the bitter taste of defeat in the league, having last succumbed to Orlando Pirates on January 13 last year in Pretoria. Mweene says they lost in the Caf Champions League against Lobi Stars last week, and they are aware they are not invincible. However, they do take comfort and motivation from the fact that they have gone a full year without dropping all three points in a match.
“We are trying to stop it from getting into our heads. All we do is to work hard for each other and make sure we don’t lose a game. Sometimes we even forget when last we lost in the league. It is a motivation for us and we are looking to continue doing well,” said Mweene, who went on to praise fellow goalkeeper Denis Onyango for being named in the Caf Team of the Year.
“He has done well in the past three years. He really deserves it for his hard work.”