Super achievers Sundowns up for Super Cup
ANELE NGCONGCA, has fond memories of the last time he had the honour of being called a Super Cup champion. That happened in 2011 in Belgium with Genk in that country’s Super Cup that pitted the league champions and the winners of the Belgium Cup, their version of the Nedbank Cup.
“It was amazing. I remember some shops opened for us as a team to get things for no charge,” Ngcongca said.
He doesn’t expect that something similar will happen for Mamelodi Sundowns should they win the CAF Super Cup tomorrow at Loftus Versfeld against TP Mazembe. Firstly, because the football culture in Belgium and here is different and secondly, he joked, that his Sundowns teammates would abuse that opportunity. But this is a bigger version of the Super Cup than the one Ngcongca won in Belgium because this is a continental edition – contested by the CAF Champions League winners and the CAF Confederation Cup champions.
Ngcongca didn’t contribute “FOR us it was all about rubbing shoulders with the best.” With these words, Muhsin Ertugral, went down the CAF Super Cup memory lane during his time with Kaizer Chiefs in 2002 when Amakhosi were unfortunately hammered 4-1 by Africa’s most successful team in Al Ahly. The Super Cup has once again become of keen interest to South Africans with Mamelodi Sundowns – the 2016 CAF Champions League winners – hosting TP Mazembe, who were crowned Confederation Cup champions in the same year, at Loftus tomorrow. Chiefs travelled to Cairo to Sundowns’ success in the Champions League because he arrived after the squad was finalised and he was injured – and on crutches. He travelled with Sundowns to Egypt for the final though. The club did that so the players who weren’t involved could soak up the atmosphere and have an idea as to what almost 15 years ago full of hope and already having made their mark on the continent by winning the then African Cup Winners’ Cup, but Al Ahly proved too strong. “It was a prestigious tournament in the eyes of the chairman (Chiefs boss Kaizer Motaung) and he would have loved for the club to play at home,” Ertugral recalled. “We had already achieved continental recognition and I even got a job offer from Ismaily (Egypt) after we beat them in the quarter-finals. We thought winning the Super Cup would take us to another level, but it wasn’t to be. I thought we started strong, but we conceded an early goal from defensive mistakes. I remember Cyril Nzama scoring to experience in the Champions League this year. For Ngcongca, playing in the Super Cup tomorrow and the Champions League next month, at home in Africa, is a realisation of how much he has grown having left the country in 2007 as a first division player.
“I was talking about this the other day with my girlfriend that I am very lucky. I can’t ask for more,” Ngcongca said. “I played in the Uefa Champions League and the Uefa Europa Cup. I won everything in Belgium, including the Super Cup and now I am here playing in the CAF Super Cup. This means the most to me because this is played on home soil, in Africa.” the equaliser. We were, however, not strong enough to keep up with a club that had been named the team of the century. And one of the goals was from their goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary from his own half. Unbelievable.”
It’s Sundowns’ turn to fly the SA flag this weekend as they face a Mazembe team that is not as successful as Al Ahly, but still one of the strongest sides in Africa. They have 10 continental titles to back that up. Ertugral argued that the Brazilians should have been given the week off by the PSL instead of having to play away to Chippa United in Mdantsane on Tuesday night where they drew 1-1.
“I feel Sundowns and coach Pitso (Mosimane) should have had time off to prepare. South Africa should realise the international recognition Sundowns brought to the domestic league,” said Ertugral. “If they win this, it might just motivate them to do well on the continent.” –
Ngcongca, with all his experience, hasn’t walked into the team because of the good job Thapelo Morena has been doing at right-back.
“I have to give credit to Thapelo,” Ngcongca said. “He is not a natural right-back (but a winger converted to right-back), yet he is doing well.
“I have been encouraging him. It is going to be difficult for everyone playing in that position, from Shoes (Asavela Mbekile) to (Siyanda) Zwane. Thapelo has been doing a good job. It’s a good thing because he is pushing us to do well.”
Ngcongca, Mbekile and Zwane will get their chance some time this year because of the hectic schedule Sundowns are involved in. After the Super Cup there is the Nedbank Cup, Champions League and the Absa Premiership they are trying to retain.
“We are lucky to have a coach like Pitso Mosimane because he is hungry for more success,” Ngcongca said. “He told us that we need to leave a legacy at Sundowns. Yes, we have won everything but we need more. We need to have more stars on our badge. When you look at the global giants, they have more stars on their shirts.
“You can retire contentedly in the knowledge that I brought four stars to Sundowns. I have done enough. The coach is pushing us to the limits.”