Defending champions Supersport United kick off their MTN 8 title defence against an unknown quantity in Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) who make their debut in the tournament in the first quarterfinal on Saturday.
The new kids on the block are the hosts on the day in the encounter which takes place at Thohoyandou Stadium; a venue shared with rivals Black Leopards, who have made it a slaughterhouse for travelling teams.
TTM vs Supersport United: MTN 8 preview
After a whirlwind week, where TTM lost a coach before kicking a ball in the top flight, the Limpopo outfit will be hoping to put all that behind them and prove why they belong in the first tier of South African football.
Former Black Leopards and Chippa United coach Joel Masutha – who stepped in after Norman Mapeza departed the hot seat – is anticipating a tough encounter against the titleholders.
“Things are going on well for us despite the fact that we didn’t have enough days of preparation,” said Masutha. “We don’t want to use that as an excuse as the technical team and the players.
“We won’t even complain after the match and say it’s because of this or that. We are ready, and we can’t wait to face SuperSport United.
“We are going to face a strong team who are also defending champions‚ but we are excited to test ourselves and our strengths against them. I think this match came at the right time for us.”
Joel Masutha
For United, TTM present a potential banana peel, but coach Kaitano Tembo has iterated that his charges have placed their focus on what they are able to produce.
“We need to really try and focus on our ourselves and make sure that we prepare very well for this game. We must focus on ourselves and go there with the right mentality and frame of mind because this game is very key for us,” he said. “Their situation makes it even more dangerous for us because a lot of players who have gone there will want to prove themselves.”
Kaitano Tembo
Kick-off time and where to watch
The match will kick off at 15:00, and will be broadcast on Supersport 2.
