Onyango: No walk in the park for us

A knee injury has forced Denis Onyango (right) to remain behind while his Mamelodi Sundowns side take on Al Ahly Benghazi in a Caf Champions League group stage qualifier this afternoon.

Masandawana play the Libyan outfit in the first leg at the Petro Sport Stadium in Cairo, and Onyango is holding thumbs his team-mates come back with a victory ahead of the second leg, scheduled for December 22 in Pretoria.

“We have to try and get a positive result when we play against them. It is very important to win away and play at home without any kind of pressure. Of course there is pressure in very game but when you win away from home it gives you more confidence.

“The team we are playing is not an easy team and it will not be an easy game,” said the keeper.

“They are not playing at home, they are playing at a home-awayfrom-home, but again, that does not take away the quality they have in the team.

“We have seen Libyan players playing against Bafana Bafana and they play good football and I believe they have a few players (from the national team) who are going to be playing against us,” Onyango added.

The Ugandan goalkeeper was speaking at the Nedbank Cup draw, where they have been paired with Chippa United in the last-32. Onyango is concerned about their struggles in domestic cup competitions, seeing as they last won a domestic knockout trophy in 2015 when they lifted the Telkom Knockout.

The Brazilians have already lost out on MTN8 and Telkom Knockout silverware this season.

“It is a concern because we are expected to win trophies but we can’t win them all. If we were knocked out in the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout we have an opportunity to fight for the Nedbank Cup and the league. It is very important for us to work hard to win these two cups,” Onyango said.

“We have not lost in the league this year since January ... unfortunately we have not won the cups yet but the team are coming together.”