Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango believes a win over Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8 will help set them up for the rest of the season.

The Brazilians will open the new season this weekend in a mouthwatering clash with Chiefs when the two sides square off at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday.

Onyango will be hoping this mammoth clash will help the team find their rhythm with the new additions to the squad.

“It’s a very big encounter for us and, of course, for them because they really want to win the first game and get into the semi-finals of the MTN8, but we’re also looking forward to it the same since we’ve been struggling to win the MTN8. It’s a very difficult game but it gives the opportunity also for the boys to start off with a strong side and try to get good results, and get momentum to take us throughout the season,” said Onyango.

“Playing an opening game against Kaizer Chiefs is always mouthwatering, just like last season. [However] this season it’s different because it’s a cup game, last season it was a league match, those are two different competitions and the approaches are not the same.”

Onyango admits there is a lot of pressure on them heading into the new campaign as they will start defending their league title against AmaZulu at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on 20 August.

“As defending champions there is always pressure. Even if we were not defending champions of the league, there is always pressure at Sundowns to perform and try to win as much as we can because the club invests a lot into the players and they expect the players to deliver,” he said.

“There is pressure from the first game, we just need to deal with it and try to win as much as we can because we know that everyone is gunning for us. We know we have the ability to win games and win trophies and we have the mandate to deliver trophies.

“It’s going to be difficult and very tough but we are used to such situations and we believe that if we get the momentum in the first few games it will carry us on to winning more games in the season. We believe that pressure will drive us and give us the motivation to win the games, and hopefully things turn out good for us in the season.”

The Zambia international went on to share positive words about his teammates and their preparations for the new season.

“Everyone is fighting for their position, trying to get into the first XI that will play in the opening game against Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN 8, that’s good for competition, it brings the best out of every player.

“For me, I think it has been fantastic for the guys even though I was still struggling with a finger injury that I sustained last season but the other guys Reyaad [Pieterse], [Ricardo] Goss and Kennedy [Mweene] have been doing well. Everything has been fantastic with the boys and we’re hoping that the results go our way when we play the opening game,” concluded Onyango.