Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi admits his team is braced for a tough encounter when they face Bloemfontein Celtic, the team that knocked them out of the MTN8, on Tuesday afternoon.

Siwelele kicked off their 2020-21 campaign with a big morale-boosting victory over the Brazilians in the quarter-finals of the MTN8, the season’s traditional curtain-raiser event.

Sundowns, though, have gone from strength to strength since that defeat and now top the standings heading into the game against Celtic at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday (5pm).

The Brazilians will be looking to get back to winning ways after they dropped two points as they played out to a goalless draw with SuperSport United in the Tshwane Derby in Atteridgeville this past Saturday.

Speaking ahead of the encounter, co-coach Mngqithi adnmitted it will be a tough encounter which they are not taking lightly.

‘It’s a tricky affair, it’s a tricky game,’ said Mngqithi.

‘They are a hard-running team. They are the ones that took us out of the MTN8. We know the quality they present in attacking play and their structure is a little bit awkward.

‘It’s not going be an easy game. That team is good and they have not been doing exceptionally well and they are a little bit more dangerous when they are like that.

‘You will want them to come with momentum, but when they are struggling they are more dangerous against big teams and cause problems.’

Sundowns are expected to have Rivaldo Coetzee and Andile Jali back in contention for the game after they both missed the Tshwane Derby.