Gomora face Downs with ‘no fear’ in Nedbank Cup

Gomora United coach Ashley Makhanya has urged the team to play without fear against Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup last 32 match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium tomorrow, and suggested that, despite the team being minnows, the competition has produced upsets in the past. Makhanya wants his side to enjoy the moment, as they have nothing to lose, and to express themselves confidently against a tough side like Sundowns. “What’s the worst that can happen?” he asked at a press conference on Monday.

“They [Sundowns] are beating everybody, but we have no fear; we will go out there and do our best. We know what Sundowns are capable of and what they have been doing for so many years. “We will put our plan in motion, and whatever happens will happen.

But we are not going there with fear. It is a wonderful experience from the perspective of the players. “They will be looking forward to the game, and you have to allow them to express themselves and show their quality.

[paywall]

If you lose, you lose, as long as you don’t lose yourself. Show what you’ve got, and the results will take care of themselves. “But we want to put in a good performance and show what Gomora is about.” The Motsepe Foundation Championship side is hoping to be one of the teams that will produce shock results in this competition, and Makhanya said they have a plan in place.

“We just have to know what the team is capable of and try to prepare them as best as possible and see what we can come up with,” he said. “This is a competition that prides itself on the underdogs producing those shock results. We’ll put our plan in action and hope for the best.” Meanwhile, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has promised to field a strong lineup to avoid any upsets.

Masandawana head into this match on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Al-Hilal of Sudan in a CAF Champions League group match on Friday. “Expect a very strong line-up for this match,” Cardoso said. “We respect our opponents, [and they’ll be] making a serious approach.”

[/paywall]