DEFENDING champions Mamelodi Sundowns will begin their quest to reach their third cup final this year when they face Polokwane City in the opening round of the Telkom Knockout.
The Brazilians who were beaten in the MTN8 final by Bidvest Wits recently meet Egyptian giants Zamelek in a two legged Caf Champions League final this month.
They host Zamalek in the first leg next weekend with the second leg in Cairo on 21 October.
The first round of the Knockout will be played on 19, 22 and 23 October at venues to be confirmed.
Downs star Khama Billiat understands that they cannot underestimate Rise and Shine who they will host especially coming from the embarrassing 3-0 defeat by the Clever Boys.
Said Billiat: “We are not special, we lose and we move on from that. When you are professional you have to stay strong and make sure the next game brings you back. Polokwane are always a strong team and it’s always tough for us.
“There is no easy game that we have played with them. We know it’s going to be a hassle for us but we just have to make sure we are in a good state of mind.”
The Zimbabwean star said losing the first cup competition of the season was a wake up call for them.
Sundowns have been on cruise mode since last season even being able to come back from behind to beat Zambian champions Zesco United in the semifinal.
He said: “We have to watch the game to see what went wrong. Be honest with ourselves on what exactly happened.”
The Chloorkop side will still be buried under lots of local fixtures as the Telkom Knockout starts just two days before the second leg of the Champions League final.
Although Sundowns have beaten Zamalek twice in the competition, they need to be wary of complacency which could lead to their downfall.
“We know exactly what to expect. Hopefully they (Zamalek) won’t change much because we know them very well but there’s always a surprise on the day. But we can only guarantee our efforts,” he added.
