Mamelodi Sundowns gear up for knockout showdown with on-the-rise Marumo Gallants

After missing out on the MTN8 this season, Mamelodi Sundowns will be turning their attention to the Carling Knockout, hoping to secure their first title in the competition since the 2019/20 season.

The Brazilians have become victims of their own previous success, with a mixed start to the 2025/26 season creating uncertainty around the club. While the MTN8 remains the only trophy they have missed so far, their league form has seen both highs and lows across just 10 matches.

Focus now shifts to the "Beer Cup", a competition Sundowns were expected to win last season before being stunned in the final by Magesi FC, who overturned a 1-0 deficit to claim a 2-1 victory.

This weekend, they face Marumo Gallants, the same side they beat 2-0 in last season’s semi-finals, thanks to goals from then-players Neo Maema and Lucas Ribeiro Costa. With pressure still around, head coach Miguel Cardoso will be under scrutiny to deliver a telling result not just in the match but the tournament.

Injuries have added to the challenge, with key players such as Grant Kekana and Themba Zwane sidelined, but Portuguese forward Nuno Santos has provided a timely boost to the squad with strong performances since his arrival.

The squad has further been bolstered in midfield by Portuguese recruit Miguel Reisinho. While Santos was thrown straight into action in the 1-0 league defeat to Golden Arrows, Cardoso confirmed that Reisinho would not be rushed into the upcoming clash against Gallants and explained why his countryman was cleared to play so soon after joining the club. 

“The situation with Miguel and Nuno is not the same,” Cardoso said.

“Nuno was training regularly and playing; Miguel was training regularly but not playing officially. He was training with a team he requested to train with because he expected to get opportunities.

“He had a couple of opportunities that turned out to be misfortune for him at the time, but it was fortunate for us to bring him in as a free-agent player.

“He has had a few training sessions with us, and we will see how he responds. If he performs well, shows quality, and deserves to be part of the squad, then I can’t say no.”

Alongside the new arrivals, Cardoso was also pleased with the progress club captain Zwane has been making and confirmed that at the rate he is recovering, he could be in contention for a place in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) set to be hosted by Morocco.

“Yes, he can,” Cardoso said on Zwane being at AFCON.

“But we need to be patient with him. We have seen a lot of progress, much more than we had expected, and maybe the injury was not as big as we thought.

“For a player at his age, he is recovering very well, so we have great expectations, but we have to be cautious. We are not thinking of the national team but us and also him, so we are going to do things with the right precautions so that we do not damage him again.

“We were cautious with his last injury, but now we have to be extra careful because we also need him.”