DURBAN’S Sugar Xulu Stadium will play host as the 2017-18 MultiChoice Diski Challenge (MDC) competition kicks off this weekend with a grudge match.
Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns will open proceedings on Saturday at 10am against Bloemfontein Celtic, whom they pipped to the title last season.
Downs assistant coach Surprise Moriri says they know Celtic will not have forgotten how they beat them to the title. The former midfielder spoke to SunSport at the launch of this season’s campaign at Moses Mabhida Stadium yesterday.
Said Moriri: “Celtic are a good team with lots of potential. We know they will be coming at us guns blazing after we beat them to the title last season. They will be looking to get the better of us early in the season to be three points ahead of us. But we are ready for them and for everything they will throw at us.”
Moriri spoke on behalf of his head coach David Notoane, who was in Britain with the national Under-20 team.
He predicts Sundowns’ MDC team will go down in the history books by becoming the first team to defend the title.
“I would like to applaud this club for promoting young stars to the MDC. We have our new team all together this season. Last season’s players were either loaned out to NFD teams or promoted to the senior team.
“Our boys come from our Under-17 team. We believe in them and I see them defending the title. They get to learn early on how to handle the pressure that comes with playing for Sundowns,” said Moriri.
In another match on Saturday AmaZulu, who will only be playing in the MDC for the second time, will face Orlando Pirates in the last match of the day at 12pm. Usuthu coach Ronnie Moroka says his players are pumped up and looking forward to the challenge.
