Sundowns expect tough encounter against Gallants

Mamelodi Sundowns, the African champions, face a formidable challenge in their upcoming Betway Premiership match against Marumo Gallants. The match, the third of the 2026/27 season for Sundowns, comes at a time when the Masandawana side was still grieving the loss of Jayden Adams during the opening weekend of the domestic campaign. Currently sitting at 7th place on the log, Sundowns managed a hard-fought 3-2 victory over TS Galaxy and a 1-all draw against Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB stadium on Saturday.

Coach Miguel Cardoso anticipates a tough encounter against the Gallants, stating, "We play at home. Always team that has capacity to be aggressive in transition using lineouts with reinforcement of their strategy, trying to avoid us from playing to the spaces that we are always strong on. It’s a team that usually selects players with speed in order to aggress us on transitions."

Despite this, Cardoso remains confident in his young squad, praising their talent and potential to flourish anywhere in the world. He highlights players like Mofokeng, Mbokazi, Dithejane, Maseko, and Thapelo, expressing hope for their future successes with the club.

The addition of new players to the Sundowns squad has also boosted confidence, with defender Grant Kekana stating, "We won one trophy last season. This season, with the addition that we have, we are looking to win more trophies this season. They are gifted in their own ways, ours is to help them understand what’s required at Mamelodi Sundowns, but they have the qualities to be a success at Sundowns." The clash against Gallants is scheduled to kick off at half past seven on Wednesday evening.