Mamelodi Sundowns defender Grant Kekana says the club’s mentality is to dominate rather than simply compete as they prepare to face Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 final on Saturday evening with kick-off scheduled for 18:00.
Sundowns will meet their direct rivals at Moses Mabhida Stadium as they look to claim their first piece of domestic silverware this season.
Speaking at the club’s media day ahead of the final, Kekana insisted that Sundowns approach every competition with the intention of winning it.
“Here at Mamelodi Sundowns, we don’t play competitions to compete, we play to dominate,” Kekana said.
The Brazilians have already enjoyed success against some of the top sides this season, including a victory over Al Ahli in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and Kekana believes that result should give them confidence heading into the final.
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“We won against Al Ahli, so it’s going to be very important for us to assert ourselves. We’ve fallen short quite a few times in this competition [MTN8]; it’s been our Achilles heel,” he added.
Sundowns have not defeated Pirates in a cup competition since their Nedbank Cup success during the 2021/22 season, where they went on to complete a domestic treble.
However, Kekana says the players are approaching Saturday’s encounter with a different mindset and believes the mood within the squad is positive.
“I think the mood and energy are different in the camp. We are all highly motivated and positive about this weekend’s fixture,” he said.
Despite the rivalry between the two clubs, the 33-year-old defender played down suggestions that the final has become personal, insisting Sundowns are more focused on improving on last season’s domestic campaign.
“We don’t like personalising games. I think it’s more about us doing better than what we did last season,” the defender explained.
Sundowns endured a frustrating campaign domestically last season, failing to add a major local trophy to their collection despite their success on the continental stage.
Kekana believes the team has already put itself in a better position to challenge for silverware this season.
“Last season we were unfortunate not to get anything [trophies] locally, but this season we’ve given ourselves a chance, especially at the start of the season,” he said.
With the MTN8 final now just days away, Sundowns will be hoping their dominant mentality translates into another trophy as they look to overcome Pirates and end their wait for success in the competition.