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SUNDOWNS: MOSIMAN’E MEN IN GROUP STAGES FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW
SuperSport United are also flying the SA flag high in Africa.
Mamelodi Sundowns have made history by becoming the first Southern African football club to qualify for the Caf Champions League group stages three times on the trot.
For Pitso Mosimane it is mandatory for Masandawana to be regulars in Africa’s premium club competition.
“We have no excuse at Sundowns, it is a mission and it is a vision of the club. The club has to go to the Champions League regardless of what happens domestically,” said Mosimane, who has just returned from Morocco, where he was invited to a coaching course by Caf president Ahmed Ahmed, along with prominent figures such as AS Vita and DRC coach Florent Ibenge and three-time Africa Cup of Nations winner with Egypt, Hassan Shehata.
“Yes it puts us under pressure because we put in more travelling and we have more games. We have to play Champions League no matter what because that is the level of a big team. We don’t have excuses to say we are involved in the Nedbank Cup … we have to manage our programme,” the former Bafana Bafana coach explained.
“As long as you play in that space and you manage to keep the team right even in the domestic cups, (but) that is not an easy thing to do.”
Sundowns ensured their progress to the group stages with a 2-0 win at home to Rayon Sports of Rwanda on Sunday evening, with defender Wayne Arendse and striker Sibusiso Vilakazi getting the goals.
Crosstown rivals SuperSport United are standing side-by-side with Downs in flying the country’s flag in the continent. United advanced to the Confederation Cup play-offs with a 2-1 win at home to Petro Luanda on Friday evening, with Thabo Mnyamane netting two late goals. Interim coach Kaitano Tembo wants the side to repeat their heroic feat of reaching the 2017 final, where they lost to TP Mazembe.
“We want to do better in terms of what we have learned and try and improve from the last edition,” said Tembo.
“The players are already motivated because we lost in the final about four months ago and we are now back in it. That is what we need because the memories are still fresh.”