Favourites to Win the MTN8 Title After Mamelodi Sundowns Setback Against Golden Arrows
- Junior Dion's first-half goal gave Golden Arrows a crucial 1-0 win over Mamelodi Sundowns at Lucas Moripe Stadium
- The KwaZulu-Natal side now hold the away goals advantage heading into the second leg of the MTN8 semi-final
- A football analyst in a chat with Briefly News weighed in on who remains the tournament favourites following Sundowns' shock defeat
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Golden Arrows handed Mamelodi Sundowns a shock 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their MTN8 semi-final at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday, with Junior Dion's first-half strike securing a famous result for the KwaZulu-Natal club.
The goal proved enough for Arrows, who combined an organised defensive structure with a dangerous counter-attacking threat to deny Sundowns any meaningful foothold in the match. The result leaves the Tshwane giants facing a must-win scenario heading into next weekend's second leg, with Arrows also holding the away goals advantage.
**Arrows' Tactical Discipline Frustrates African Champions**
Arrows' performance was built on defensive resilience, limiting Sundowns' attacking options throughout the 90 minutes. The result represents one of the most significant upsets of the MTN8 season, given Sundowns' status as Africa's most decorated club in recent years.
In an exclusive interview with Briefly News, football analyst Uche Anuma acknowledged that Sundowns' MTN8 campaign is hanging by a thread, but stopped short of ruling them out entirely.
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"Mamelodi Sundowns are on the verge of being knocked out of the competition once again, but I think they still have a chance to correct their mistake in the second leg and book a place in the final," Anuma said.
**Orlando Pirates Remain Favourites, Says Analyst**
Despite Sundowns' difficult position, Anuma maintained they still have enough quality to advance. However, he pointed to another Soweto giant as the team most likely to lift the trophy.
"I feel the number one favourite remains Abdeslam Ouaddou's Orlando Pirates, with Mamelodi Sundowns still following them closely in second place despite losing the first leg semis," the analyst added.
Pirates, coached by Abdeslam Ouaddou, are competing in the other MTN8 semi-final and will be buoyed by the pressure now mounting on Sundowns to overturn their deficit. Should both ties go to form, a Pirates versus Sundowns final remains a possibility, but Arrows' resolute display in Pretoria has made that outcome far from certain.
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Source: Briefly News
