Mamelodi Sundowns defender Ricardo Nascimento says his side can expect a tough season ahead, following their treble-winning campaign last season.

The Brazilians will begin their 2020-21 campaign against Bloemfontein Celtic when the two sides meet in the MTN8 quarter-final at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on Sunday.

Sundowns will then turn their attention to the DStv Premiership when they begin their title defence against Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Saturday, 24 October.

Nascimento, who has been with Sundowns since July 2016, has been an important member of the last line of defence and is also the man trusted with taking penalties for the Brazilians.

‘When you know that the game is a cup game, then you expect a difficult match. We are looking forward to an exciting game and want to do well in this cup, we want to win it for the club and also for the fans,’ Nascimento told his club’s official website.

‘We have prepared well and we are expecting a challenging season, as the clubs are getting strong teams. The clubs are bringing new and good players to close the gap.’