Mamelodi Sundowns kicked off their European pre-season tour with a disappointing 2-1 defeat against SV Sandhausen, a German third-division team, on Tuesday.
These friendlies serve as crucial preparation for a demanding season that will feature next year’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
NEW LEADERSHIP
Sundowns are now under the leadership of Manqoba Mngqithi and Steve Komphela, who returned from Golden Arrows to assume the senior coach role.
The duo are now on a mission to use the pre-season tour to fine-tune the squad for the busy 2024-25 season ahead. Under the new leadership, Mngqithi and Komphela will need to return to winning ways and deliver stronger results in their remaining fixtures.
REMEMBER RHULANI
Their defeat in pre-season marks the first match for Sundowns without former coach Rhulani Mokwena after his return to the club in July 2020.
In a surprising turn of events, the two parties parted ways, leading to Mokwena’s quick signing with Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca.
NEXT UP
Looking to bounce back, Sundowns face a significant step up in competition with their upcoming fixtures. They’ll take on Ukrainian powerhouse Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday, followed by Welsh club Cardiff City on July 23rd.
The tour concludes with matches against Qatari club Arabi SC, before concluding their tour against Neymar’s Al Hilal on the same day.