The Siya crew has been led to believe that the Carling Knockout, win or lose, will play a key role in the future of head coach Manqoba Mngqithi.
While a defeat is not expected to end his tenure in the head coaching role, indications are that there is pressure for the coach to win a domestic trophy this season or face pressure from management.
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Sundowns want to continue dominating South African football and, to them, it's more than just about winning the Premiership title. The knockout competitions are just as important and winning the Carling Knockout would go a long way in giving the coach breathing space to work on the other competitions Sundowns are in and still going to be involved in.
The CAF Champions League group stages are set to follow after the Carling Knockout and victory could inspire them to qualify for the knockout phase of the competition and go all the way. Of all the competitions Sundowns are involved in, management has placed winning the Champions League highest on the list of the ones they want to win and Mngqithi is understood to be aware of how important it is to go all the way.
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In the past, Sundowns have been on the receiving end of cup upsets in a final. In 2001, they were beaten by Santos in the final of the BobSave Superbowl. Six years later, Ajax Cape Town beat the Tshwane giants 2-0 in the Absa Cup final and, in 2012, Bloemfontein Celtic stunned them in the Telkom Knockout.
