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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
CUTHBERT Malajila has ruled out any sour grapes when he faces his former teammates, including compatriot Khama Billiat, in the MTN8 Cup final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits today.

Malajila was Billiat’s teammate at Sundowns before he was deemed excess to baggage by the Brazilians and found a new home at the Clever Boys.

Yesterday, Malajila told The Saturday Herald that his time at Sundowns was “now water under the bridge’’ as he takes aim at the MTN8 silverware.

“I think it’s a normal game like any other except maybe that it is a Cup final and there has to be a winner at the end of the day,” he said.

“I don’t have any hard feelings against Sundowns and I am at a new club now and that is where my focus is.

“I also don’t think this game is about Khama and me, but the teams that we each represent and I can only say that may the better team win on the day win.”

Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane appeared in buoyant mood ahead of today’s game and told the South African media that his Champions League finalists had the better mental strength.

Khama Billiat

There is R8 million at stake with the runners-up taking a mere R800 000 just like the six other clubs that participated in the competition.

“I have said also before the game of Chippa United that in my opinion we have a little bit of an edge because we know how to play these games.

“We normally don’t have butterflies in our stomachs when we are faced with a game that is a win at all cost. I mean how many win at all cost games have we played lately?

“We have an edge of knowing how to play this game. We have the advantage because we are used to big games and we know when to put the music on and we know there is a time that we have to be effective and try to get the goal.

“We also know how to play possession for possession because we have got the experience from the Champions League,’’ Mosimane said.

Asked what approach the Brazilians are likely to take, Mosimane said: “The game on Saturday, we will see what it wants. If we are in trouble we will play effective and if it’s open we will put the Sundowns game. So this is what we will have to do to lift the trophy just like Gavin (Hunt) also wants to lift the trophy. At the end of the day we want to lift the trophy,” Mosimane said.

Hunt will also go into the match hoping to finally land his first silverware with Wits.

In three years, Hunt and his former SuperSport CEO Jose Ferreira have built the Clever Boys into a formidable force.

“We’ve got to change the whole mentality of Wits. Wits have always been a battling club and we need to change that mindset‚ and try to be competing and getting closer and closer.

“And I think in the last three seasons we have gotten closer. And we’ve been there right at the death (in the league) and fell away for various reasons. Well‚ we just weren’t good enough.

“So we’re proud of that (getting closer) but now we need to change it and we need to break through.

“And if it doesn’t happen on Saturday‚ my God we’re going to be trying next week again.

“I don’t know what else to say. Yes‚ we are disappointed. We’ve got a very demanding owner (Brian Joffe)‚ like Sundowns have (Patrice Motsepe).

“They all want success. It’s like every other owner. But we’ve also got our own internal desire,” Hunt said.