FOR all their incredible dominance of the domestic championship, which they have won a record seven times in a row now, Mamelodi Sundowns suck when it comes to knockout competitions.
The Brazilians last won a knockout title in 2021, when they lifted the MTN8.
It is a situation that somewhat undermines their standing as the kings of South African football.
Their recent defeat to Stellenbosch FC in the MTN8 semi-finals even got many to start believing they will be stopped from making it eight league titles in a row.
Manqoba Mngqithi and his crew could silence the doubters by having a successful run in the second edition of the Carling Knockout Cup, and Neo Maema says they intend doing just that.
Speaking after the draw of the league cup in Johannesburg, Maema explained that they view “playing another cup competition as another opportunity for us to win it”.
He admitted that their failure to succeed in knockout competitions irks them just as much as it must frustrate their loyal fans.
“I know there are a lot of questions that are going to come about Sundowns not being a force when it comes to cup competitions, but I just want our supporters not to give up on us on that,” Maema said.
“You know we have a lot of consistency when it comes to the league, but in cup competitions, we are still a dominant force as we are in the league. I just don’t want our supporters to think we are not.”
Neo Maema was first to share his reaction with us after Masandawana were drawn against Abafana Bes'thende in the latest edition of the #CarlingKnockout! 🗣#Sundowns pic.twitter.com/WElgK6uja9
But the reality is they are not, and the Knockout presents them with an opportunity to turn things around.
“Starting off with Golden Arrows at home, it will be a good example to put what we are saying up front and making sure we step into the next round of the competition,” Maema said.
“Ja, it obviously (bothers me that we are not winning knockout competitions). Personally, I don’t like it. As a team, we would agree that it is a nuisance. It bothers us.
“We are very consistent. We try our best to win every single game, but when it comes to cup competitions, we always fall short which is something that happens in football.
“But we also want to win domestic cups. We don’t want that to linger in the back of our minds: that in cup competitions, we are unable or we just can’t (win them).”
Pictured: Our return to the training ground! 📸#Sundowns pic.twitter.com/I54uhNTCbV
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) October 9, 2024
The 28-year-old Maema does not believe that their lack of success in knockout competitions is a sign they are doing something wrong as a club.
“I don’t think there’s anything missing. We have the players and technical team, as well as management that support us,” the midfielder said.
“We must just try as players and go on to the field against Arrows – take it one match at time.
“It is beginning of the season, and we must not run out of legs towards the end. We must try to make sure we do it in 90 minutes.”
The Carling Knockout matches will be played on the weekend of October 19 and 20, although the Premier Soccer League are yet to release the exact dates and venues of the eight matches.