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Pretoria - Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana striker Katlego Mashego believes his team’s positive mentality played a significant role in guiding them to their sixth Absa Premiership crown last season.
The Brazilians broke a seven-year league drought when they overcame arch rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, after Amakhosi at one stage led the league by 13 points.
In an exclusive interview with Sport24 on Monday, the former Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows man said the Brazilians will show more hunger in the upcoming season as they aim to improve as a team from what they have achieved in the past year.
“It was nice to win the league,” said Mashego.
“We always play and strive to win every competition on offer.
“We had a good and perfect mentality as a team.
“And on top of that, we have a good coach.
“To me as an individual, it was a great feeling and achievement to win another league medal.
“As a team we have made a benchmark last season by winning the league.
“So next season we will be hungrier than last season as we aim to win more trophies on offer.”
The 32-year-old forward missed out on the entire second half of the season due to an injury.
It resulted in him losing the battle in the race for the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot award won by Bernard Parker of Chiefs, with the Bushbuckridge-born player expressing his disappointment.
Mashego had 7 league goals when the injury struck, with Parker eventually finishing on 10.
“Mahoota” also revealed his ambitions for the next instalment of top flight football.
“I got injured in February and I never played again from then.
“I missed the last 14 games due to the injury.
“So maybe if I played in those games we’ll be talking a different language now.
“I was disappointed but it happens in football.
“I want to improve as a player next season and do better.
“But that will also depend on the level of my hard work,” he added.
Notably, Mashego overtook Parker to win the golden boot in the closing stages of the 2012/13 season while still at Moroka Swallows.
Mashego joined Sundowns in July last year from the Dube Birds.
The Brazilians broke a seven-year league drought when they overcame arch rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, after Amakhosi at one stage led the league by 13 points.
In an exclusive interview with Sport24 on Monday, the former Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows man said the Brazilians will show more hunger in the upcoming season as they aim to improve as a team from what they have achieved in the past year.
“It was nice to win the league,” said Mashego.
“We always play and strive to win every competition on offer.
“We had a good and perfect mentality as a team.
“And on top of that, we have a good coach.
“To me as an individual, it was a great feeling and achievement to win another league medal.
“As a team we have made a benchmark last season by winning the league.
“So next season we will be hungrier than last season as we aim to win more trophies on offer.”
The 32-year-old forward missed out on the entire second half of the season due to an injury.
It resulted in him losing the battle in the race for the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot award won by Bernard Parker of Chiefs, with the Bushbuckridge-born player expressing his disappointment.
Mashego had 7 league goals when the injury struck, with Parker eventually finishing on 10.
“Mahoota” also revealed his ambitions for the next instalment of top flight football.
“I got injured in February and I never played again from then.
“I missed the last 14 games due to the injury.
“So maybe if I played in those games we’ll be talking a different language now.
“I was disappointed but it happens in football.
“I want to improve as a player next season and do better.
“But that will also depend on the level of my hard work,” he added.
Notably, Mashego overtook Parker to win the golden boot in the closing stages of the 2012/13 season while still at Moroka Swallows.
Mashego joined Sundowns in July last year from the Dube Birds.
