Mamelodi Sundowns are bracing themselves for a challenging Carling Knockout Cup quarterfinal encounter against Golden Arrows, with striker Iqraam Rayners acknowledging the threat posed by opponents’ head coach Mandla Ncikazi.
The Brazilians host Lamontville Abafana Bes’thende at Loftus Versfeld later this evening.
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The defending champions will be looking to build on their convincing 4-1 league win over Durban City. Arrows, meanwhile, will be eager to bounce back after going down 1-0 to AmaZulu.
For Rayners, the result is what matters most, with Sundowns determined to advance to the next round.
“I think the coach of Golden Arrows, he’s a good coach, especially when teams play against Sundowns, they know how to set up,” Rayners told Sundowns’ media department.
“For us as a team, we just need to do our job and be confident on the ball and working hard as possible to win the game and get the result. That’s the most important thing and going to the next round.”
Rayners stressed the importance of taking their chances when they come, insisting Sundowns must be clinical in front of goal to secure victory against the KwaZulu-Natal outfit.
“For us as a team, we always have a lot of opportunities against them, but we just have to make sure we punish them as early as possible,” he added.
“Once we score first, then we know the game will open up, and we know we will win the game. That’s the most important thing.”