Pitso: It’s win or bust against Horoya

Never has Pitso Mosimane sounded so confident ahead of a Caf Champions League tie as he does now as Mamelodi Sundowns prepare for a do-or-die clash at 6pm this evening against Guinea outfit AC Horoya at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

The permutations are simple – Downs need a win to advance to the quarterfinals – any other result will send Horoya into the last eight.

Mosimane knows what needs to be done and he promises to deliver what is expected from the former African champions.

“Will we beat Horoya? Yes. Will it be easy? No. Do I have the team to beat Horoya? Yes. Do I have the team to bring it on? Yes, we are in Pretoria and the goals are there. It might not be in the first 20 minutes ... but in the end we must win,” said Mosimane, who made reference to a 2-1 win over Togolese side AS Togo-Port.

“When we played the Togo team it was win at all costs and I think you know the score at halftime (2-0 to Sundowns). We have to do what we have to do, it won’t be easy but we have to survive.”

Downs lost 1-0 to Cape Town City in the MTN8 semifinal first leg in Cape Town on Saturday, but Mosimane rested most of his key players and fielded what could be loosely described as a Sundowns B team.

While the former Bafana Bafana coach seems to be relaxed about this evening’s encounter, he is very worried about the fitness, or lack thereof, of Rivaldo Coetzee, who this Friday will be marking a year since switching to Chloorkop, but is yet to make his debut.

“What a good player we have invested in in the 20-year-old. I see the same investment we put in on Keagan Dolly, Bongani Zungu and Percy Tau. He is kicking the ball a little bit, he is playing and he is getting there. He has pain here and there, sometimes he is okay, but these things happen.

“What a talent and we at Sundowns are patient. It is not easy when you spend so much money on him but that is football.

“We will put him on any flight to anywhere in the world to get him better.”