MORE GLORY AWAITS DOWNS
PITSO, DOWNS ON VERGE OF ANOTHER GREAT MILESTONE
ANELE Ngcongca joined Mamelodi Sundowns to play in big continental competitions, and it hasn’t taken long for his Guardian Angel to show him that he made the right move.
Ngcongca, 29, missed out on CAF Champions League football last year, but he looks set to get an opportunity to play in the CAF Super Cup against DRC giants TP Mazembe at Loftus Stadium tomorrow (7pm).
“Any player wants to play games like this. That’s why I chose Sundowns because they want to win everything. They’ve won the Champions League and they want to defend it, so that’s why I came here,” said Ngcongca, who was out for six months due to a knee injury.
Ngcongca made his first start against Chippa United on Tuesday, playing at right-back, as coach Pitso Mosimane rested some of his key players ahead of tomorrow’s encounter. Ngcongca may have done enough to get a start in the Super Cup clash against three-time winners Mazembe, who recently appointed Thierry Froger as their new coach.
Mosimane expects Mazembe’s strong attack to put pressure on them, but says Sundowns cannot make any excuses playing on home ground. “This game is about history, it’s about legacy. We are playing at home and we can’t ask for more. We earned this advantage. We don’t have any major injuries. We lost Keagan [Dolly], but they have also lost important players to Europe,” he said.
“We have to make sure we bring another cup at Sundowns. It’s not just a cup for Sundowns but for PSL because we are representing the PSL. It’s also a cup for South Africa. So we have to deliver.”
Mosimane rested Hlompho Kekana, Ricardo Nascimento, Percy Tau, Khama Billiat, Denis Onyango and Anthony Laffor for the match against Chippa, which finished 1-1.
BIDVEST Wits coach Gavin Hunt has hit back at critics who say he does not take the CAF club competition seriously.
Wits have previously been knocked out in the early stages of the Confederation Cup with weakened squads consisting of youngsters coming from their development.
Last weekend, the Clever Boys were beaten 2-1 by Saint-Louisienne of the Reunion Island in the first leg of their Champions League preliminary round match away from home. But Hunt insists he put out a strong team.
Players who have not been playing much in the domestic league such as Moeneeb Josephs and Bongani Khumalo got a run last Saturday and they are set to feature again when the Wits host the return leg at Bidvest Stadium tomorrow (6pm).
A win would give Wits an opportunity to play Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the first round.
“People always criticise me, but nobody criticises SuperSport [United]. Did you see the team that they put out? We had Moeneeb in goal, [Siboniso] Gaxa at full-back, Bongani Khumalo, Buhle [Mkhwanazi], [Sifiso] Hlanti, Xola [Mlambo], Ben Motshwari, Cuthbert Malajila, [Gabadinho] Mhango, [and] Sifiso Myeni.
“We go to Africa and people say we throw [games] away. We don’t throw [games] away,” argued Hunt. “The carrot is for us to play the next round in Egypt [against Al Ahly].”
Hunt says they cannot compete at the same level as Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, who have both won the competition.
“Our record is not great in Africa and we know that. But we certainly got to be more competitive. The attitude and mentality has to be strong.”
Wits are top of the table after beating Pirates 2-1 at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday through a Gabadinho Mhango brace before Happy Jele pulled one back for the Buccaneers.
Platinum Stars and SuperSport United will be involved in the Confederation Cup this weekend.
Stars take a 1-0 lead to Mozambique to face Uniao Desportivo do Songo tomorrow (6pm).
SuperSport host Elgeco Plus from Madagascar in Atteridgeville on Sunday (3.30pm) after playing to a goalless draw in the first leg.