Pitso: Downs would like to win in Abidjan but the Champions League is completely different to the PSL
PITSO MOSIMANE’S heart wants three points from Mamelodi Sundowns’ clash with Asec Mimosas tomorrow in Abidjan in the CAF Champions League, but his head is ready to accept a point.
The Sundowns coach predicted that his team will get four points from the Ivorians after the draw for the group stage. They are one point away from achieving that feat, having beaten Asec 3-1 at Loftus earlier this month. It’s easy for the Brazilians to be “greedy” and want maximum points in the Ivory Coast now that they have seen Asec and outclassed them, but Mosimane will go into tomorrow’s match cautious. Asec are no pushovers at home and are unbeaten in Abidjan in the Champions League this season.
“You’ve got to be realistic, who doesn’t want to win in Abidjan? We would like to win but the Champions League is another game,” Mosimane said. “The Champions League is awkward. It is not like the Absa Premiership where you can say that I think this one can win against that one. It’s a different game. It’s more than just about tactics. There are a lot of things involved. It’s the most difficult tournament to play. That’s why not everyone can win it. If it was that easy, then anyone could win it. It’s awkward, tough and tight. If you win it, you know that you have earned it. Don’t ever guarantee that you will win away.”
The Brazilians lost their first away match of the group stage, going down to Nigeria’s Lobi Stars. Sundowns let themselves down in that match, as they weren’t clinical and wasted a number of chances against a team that was there for the taking. The Nigerians bounced back from conceding first and won the match 2-1. That is their only win so far as Asec beat the Nigerians in Abidjan and Wydad Casablanca got three points from them in Enugu.
The Moroccans are likely to complete a double over Stars. Should Sundowns also do that to Asec, they and Wydad would need just a point from their last two matches to secure passage to the quarter-finals.