Mamelodi Sundowns supporters and those associated with the club need not to press panic buttons as the champions are on course to improve their season and achieve the objectives, close sources have indicated.
The Brazilians suffered a 1-0 defeat against Stellenbosch FC in their first leg MTN8 semi-final match at the Lucas Moripe Stadium last night.
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The defeat followed Downs' slender 1-0 win over Polokwane City in the quarter-finals, and some sections of the supporters have appeared to be unimpressed with the team's performances so far in the 2024/25 season.
But some pundits felt that Downs didn't play badly and had a chance to win or at least draw had it not been for the heroics of Stellenbosch goalkeeper Sage Stephens who put on a sensational shift that earned him the Man of the Match accolade.
Sources close to the Chloorkop outfit have, however, reassured the supporters about the improved results going forward for coach Manqoba Mngqithi's team.
"There is no need to press the panic button, and everything is under control. It's not a train smash. After several changes that have been made by the club, a start like this can be expected. It happens all over the world. What I can tell you is that everyone at the club is fully behind the coach and his technical team and their work so far has been commended. From the pre-season in Austria to coming back for the finalisation of the plans for the new season, it's been work in progress," a close source said.
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"One thing about the coach (Mngqithi) is that he can coach and he knows his story, and he commands respect. It's normal that when the team is making changes in the way Sundowns is trying to play and do things, there will be some areas of improvement to focus on along the way. Also, it's normal in the game of football that the results will not always go your way. Sometimes even when you win as the team it's not always pretty. The most important thing is to master the system and for the team to find its rhythm and everything will fall into place. Once Sundowns get it right on how they want to play there will be no stopping the team this season. Don't be surprised to see the team challenging for everything (trophies) on offer this season domestically and in Africa, and I hope people will remember this later in the season when that happens," the source concluded.
In their next match, Sundowns will visit Stellies at the Moses Mabhida Stadium for the return leg on Sunday.
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