Cote d’Or deserve respect Ngcongca
Mamelodi Sundowns defender Anele Ngcongca has warned teammates not to expect Cote d’Or to be easy prey when they face the little-known side in the Champions League in Seychelles on Saturday.
The former Bafana Bafana defender said Cote d’Or had nothing to lose and while Sundowns appeared to be carrying too many guns for the Indian Ocean islanders to handle‚ the visitors would do well to exercise extreme caution in the firstleg, second-round tie.
“It is a Champions League match and you know that anything is possible‚” Ngcongca said. “People are saying Cote d’Or are not one of the strong teams in the competition but we can’t go there and underestimate them.
“We must be professional and try to finish the game there so that when we come back home it is no risk at all.
“We must be structured and take our chances. We have prepared well like we always do and I think we will be OK.
“The guys know how to play Champions League matches and we have learnt from experiences when we played against so-called small teams‚ and we did not take our chances.”
Sundowns have two matches in four days when they return from Seychelles and face SuperSport United in the semifinals of the MTN8 and Maritzburg United in a league match.
“It is important for us to finish the job in Seychelles and take the pressure off when we come back because we have two games in quick succession‚” Ngcongca said.
“Our heavy programme demands you to be professional by handling yourself properly on and off the field and look after your body. Sometimes we have two games a week‚ so good rest is important.
“I always tell the younger players about the importance of handling yourself properly because they get carried away when they start seeing their faces on TV. It is our job as senior players to guide them‚ we know these things because we have been there.”