Sundowns cannot fathom cup letdowns

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi admitted his side were struggling to understand why they have now lost three successive domestic cup finals when they have had such overwhelming dominance in the league.

Sundowns’ shock loss to Magesi in the Carling Knockout final in Bloemfontein on Saturday followed a similar 2-1 defeat to Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cip final in Nelspruit in June.

Before that, they were also beaten I the 2023 MTN8 final by Pirates, who edged them on post-match penalties.

“We've gone into a spell where things are just not going our way in cup matches. I really cannot not put a finger on it, because I remember, even in the game against Pirates (in June), I think we were on 70-30 per cent in terms of position,” said the Sundowns coach.

“We did everything right again and but unfortunately, in the latter stages of the game, they created a call out of nothing, and we lost the final.

“I wouldn't blame anything on the team, but in football, you must know that sometimes you will win, sometimes you lose.”

Sundowns had looked overwhelming in this season’s Carling Knockout as they romped to the final with a tally of 11 goals scored and none conceded.

“It is very unfortunate that in a competition where you have scored 12 goals in four matches and only conceded two, but we leave without the cup. That that was a very good return. But unfortunately, when it mattered most, that's when we let it go.

“Sometimes we must just accept that we can do only so much and but because of football and the universe, this went in the other direction.

“In football, these things do happen, and we must accept it. Those who've been in a game for long, they know sometimes you lose matches you don't deserve to lose, and sometimes you win matches that you don't deserve to win. And that's what happens in football,” added Mngqithi.