Former Mamelodi Sundowns defender Dan Semake has expressed his desire for his old club to face either Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals.

After Sundowns secured their spot in the last eight by beating Mpheni Defenders 2-0, Semake shared his thoughts on how the team performed.

Sundowns Beat Mpheni Defenders But Semake Calls Out Their Performance

Despite the 2-0 win over Mpheni Defenders, which saw Bathusi Aubaas score both goals, Semake wasn’t entirely happy with how Sundowns played.

He felt the team dropped their intensity and took the game too lightly, even though they played with 10 men in the second half.

Semake believes there’s no such thing as an easy match for Sundowns, no matter the level of their opponents.

“Yesterday, Sundowns dropped their playing tempo.

They seemed too relaxed; they took things too easily, and for me, there is no easy game for Sundowns.

It doesn’t matter what level their opponents are at,” Semake said in an interview with SNL24.

Semake Wants Sundowns to Face Chiefs or Pirates

Looking ahead to the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals, Semake is hoping that Sundowns draws one of the big teams like Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates.

According to him, Sundowns’ players always perform better against these clubs because the competitive nature of these matchups motivates them automatically.

“I wish we draw clubs like Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in the quarter-finals,” he said.

“Our players’ mentality automatically shifts when facing these teams.

They don’t even need the coach’s motivation against such clubs.”

Attitude Towards Smaller Teams a Concern for Semake

While Semake is confident that Sundowns will rise to the occasion against bigger teams, he pointed out that the team’s performance tends to dip when facing smaller clubs.

He couldn’t quite explain why that happens, but it’s an issue he feels needs to be addressed.

“However, our performance tends to drop against smaller clubs, and I don’t know why,” he added.

Sundowns’ Strong Record Against Chiefs and Pirates This Season

Sundowns have already proven their dominance this season, winning all their games against both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

They are considered one of the top contenders to win the Nedbank Cup this year, and their strong form has only strengthened their position as one of the favourites.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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