WHAT an emotional game!
But Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says he has no reason to complain after his charges scored two goals in the first half of their first leg Caf Champions League final clash against Egyptian side Zamalek at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
Now Mosimane wants to go to Alexandria, Egypt, to wrap up their assignment and become only the second South African club, after Orlando Pirates in 1995, to be crowned African champions.
“I think we got what we wanted,” Mosimane said following the heroics that saw striker Anthony Laffor and left-back Tebogo Langerman score in the first half with Zamalek defender Eslam Hamed adding an own goal, to give Downs a 3-0 advantage.
“We scored goals and will go to Alexandria with at least something in our pocket (three goals), rather than merely going there to fight for a goal.”
Mosimane said he now knew what to expect from Zamalek in the second leg, so he reckons 15 minutes of training will be enough to plot their downfall.
Explained the confident coach: “I couldn’t predict the scoreline but we know each other very well. We had five days to prepare the team for them.
“I had only one session with the internationals involved. We have been playing non-stop for 15 months, how much fitness training do we need? So 15 minutes is enough to ensure the team is ready for the next game.”
He stressed that they could not afford any slip-ups in their last race to Caf Champions League glory.
“It will be a totally different game in Alexandria,” he emphasised.
“We will have a lot of stress and pressure from their supporters.
“They have managed to bounce back from 4-0 down in the past, ending 5-2 winners. We have an advantage but you never know what will happen there.
“We need to play our normal game. If they have to push everybody forward, we have speed at the back. The monkey is on their backs now, not on ours.”
Contrary to rumours, Mosimane said they didn’t choose to play in the scorching heat of the day simply to punish Zamalek.
He said: “They can play whenever they want and we can do so too, it’s allowed. We played Zesco United (Zambian side) while it was hotter than it was here today.
“Egypt is hotter than South Africa in summertime, so I don’t understand what people are complaining about.”
Zamalek coach Mo’men Soliman said they wouldn’t give up the fight, as he believed his players could overturn the deficit.
“We made two very big mistakes in the first half. I cannot understand how we committed those naive mistakes in the final of the Champions League, but it happens in football,” Soliman said.
“We started the game well but after the first goal we lost control. The noise from the fans made it difficult for my players to hear me.
“I have confidence in my players and promise you will find a different team in Egypt. We will give them a tough game there.”
