Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango believes there are no so-called “smaller teams” in the quarter-finals of the Nedbank Cup after they were drawn against Summerfield Dynamos on Monday evening.
The Tshwane giants are set to welcome KwaZulu-Natal-based Summerfield Dynamos after the draw pitted them together in the quarter-finals.
Masandawana will meet the ABC Motsepe League champions in Pretoria on a date the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is yet to announce.
Despite playing a lower league team, Onyango believes they got a fair draw as he believes that once you reach this stage of the competition there are only strong teams to contend against.
“The draw against Summerfield is a fair draw because there are no so-called ‘smaller teams’ when you get to the quarter-finals, especially in the Nedbank Cup,” Onyango told his club’s official website.
“It’s a cup of dreams, so it’s a dream as well for Summerfield to play against Sundowns, but also for us to take the game very seriously just like any other games. When you look at Summerfield, they’ve got a few players from the PSL, the coach is also very experienced, he [has been] with PSL clubs [before]. For us, it’s all about getting the team to the next level and try to qualify for the semi-finals.”
“The Nedbank Cup is quite awkward because when you play teams like Summerfield you don’t have a lot of footage on them, you don’t know how dangerous they are. They can hurt any other team, we’ve seen it from other clubs that are being knocked out by the ‘so-called’ smaller teams.
“The analysts need to dig deeper, and get at least something for the players to watch and know how to deal with them and give this game the respect it deserves. With the Champions League it’s easier because the games are on TV all the time.”
The Uganda shotstopper also touched on claiming back-to-back victories over rivals Al Ahly following their 1-0 win over Pitso Mosimane’s side in the Caf Champions League this past weekend.
“The team winning back to back against Al Ahly it’s massive, it has boosted the confidence of the team and the self-belief that we can make it all the way to the final, but it’s a process, we need to stay humble and try win the next game to get to go the quarter-finals and win there too,” he added.
“It’s not easy, the Champions League is a very difficult tournament to win, but the clean sheets that we’ve got also play a huge role in the qualifications.
“The team gets the confidence going forward knowing that it’s safe at the back, the goalkeepers are doing a very good job together with the infield players because we defend from the top. The union is very strong that whoever gets picked to play gives his best and anyone who gets to play is always ready to give his best to the club.”