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Win or bust. It is as simple or as difficult – depending on how you look at it – as that for Mamelodi Sundowns going into tonight’s Caf Champions League match against Togolese side AS Togo-Port at Lucas Moripe Stadium. The match kicks off at 9pm.
“We win or we go home. It’s a must-win. It is as simple as that. Nothing else,” said Masandawana coach Pitso Mosimane who has told his team they have to win at all costs tonight.
The Brazilians have their backs against the wall and are rooted at the foot of Group C after collecting just two points from a possible nine. Downs will meet the Togolese side who beat them 1-0 just over a week ago, in a loss that rubbed Mosimane up the wrong way.
The former Bafana Bafana coach has since urged his side to take charge of their own destination to avoid having to pin their hopes in other results.
“It is just as simple as that, otherwise you’ll be hoping that this one must lose to that one and it is no longer in your hands. It is in our hands now and we can get to five points and you never know what will happen in Morocco,” he said.
He does, nonetheless, hope that defending champions Wydad Casablanca of Mo- rocco do them a favour and beat Guinea’s Horoya AC tomorrow in order to retain the status quo as both Masandawana and Wydad are expected to advance to the knockout stages.
“Normally, not many people come back from Casablanca with a positive result. We are hoping that Casablanca win and we win then we are second in the table then we can sort it out with Horoya when they come here.
“I have the confidence of going there (Morocco) and getting the away win but you can’t talk about the away win there if you don’t win today,” Mosimane said.
Sundowns missed a couple of opportunities in Togo and suffered the consequences. The 54-year-old said he was aware that Togo-Port were likely to play defensively as a draw would be a good result for them away from home.
“I expect them to park the bus. I don’t expect people to move anywhere so we will have to move the bus ourselves.”