Laffor says Sundowns will prevail
AS MAMELODI SUNDOWNS go in search of their first win on the road in this year’s Caf Champions League campaign, their talismanic star Anthony Laffor says the Brazilians are peaking at the right time.
Sundowns, winners back in 2016, had a poor start to this year’s edition as they lost at Lobi Stars of Nigeria.
But they have since bounced back, Pitso Mosimane’s men ending up victorious on home soil against both Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca and Asec Mimosas of Cote D’Ivoire.
“The fluidity is coming,” Laffor said. “The coaches always talk to us about scoring. We are doing the right things, but we are not satisfied. We can do more because we are missing so many chances. We’re happy we scored three goals against Leopards but we’re happier that we kept a clean sheet. The most important thing for us was the three points.”
Sundowns beat Black Leopards 3-0 in their last match, a PSL encounter. That victory was preceded by a win with a similar scoreline against Asec in Pretoria.
They are away to the Ivorians in Abidjan tonight (6pm) looking for another win that will get them closer to qualification for the quarterfinals, a stage they couldn’t reach last year after crashing out in the group stage.
Laffor lamented that performance, arguing it was made more disappointing as Sundowns were in the easiest group since they won the Champions League in 2016.
In a group that featured Wydad, AS Togo-Port and Horoya of Guinea, Sundowns weren’t ruthless enough. They failed to put the minnows to the sword and were punished for it. As much as their trip to Abidjan is about moving closer to the quarters, it’s also a shot at redemption for a team that now considers itself one of the big boys in African football.
“It’s going to be difficult, but they need to come out,” Laffor said. “Remember here at home (Pretoria) they were sitting back, and we scored three. Now they need to win. They need to come out. If they come out, I believe that with the pace we have we can do something. It’s not going to be difficult like it was at home. Asec are west Africans, I know their mentality. They’ll get frustrated. If we can hold them in the first 20 minutes, we will be victorious.”
The Brazilians will have a semblance of rest upon their return from Abidjan. They are out of the Nedbank Cup, yet despite their gruelling campaign, Sundowns have managed to keep up in the Champions League and the PSL.
“The travelling is not something that’s strange anymore, our families know that we have to do this,” Laffor said. “We just have to be humble, keep our feet on the ground and keep working hard. Every player in South Africa wants to be in the space we’re in, every player wants to play Champions League and travel the continent. We’re privileged we’re in this space. It’s a good thing for the club. We just need to remain humble because the Champions League is different to the PSL.”