Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has admitted that his side have been handed a tough draw in the Caf Champions League group stages but insists they should be able get through.
Sundowns were drawn in Group A alongside former coach Pitso Mosimane's Al Ahly and two Sudanese clubs in Al-Hilal and Al-Merrikh.
The 2016 champions will be desperate to make new happy memories in the competition when the group stages kick off next month.
Mngqithi, who was part of the team that won the competition under the guidance of former coach Mosimane, will be looking to deliver another title, this time with the help of co-coach Rhulani Mokwena.
But Sundowns have stiff competition to progress out of what is a tough group that has defending champions Ahly and the tricky pair of Hilal and Merrikh from Sudan.
“Once you get into the last 16, it’s always difficult to make a choice as to who you want to play against,” admitted Mngqithi.
“All the teams that are there are tough, probably about 75% of them have won the Champions League before.
“There’s no point in trying to avoid ny team. We just have to soldier on and give it our best shot.
“We must understand that everyone who is here is looking to win the competition.
“The only thing we can do is to ensure that our team is strong enough to compete until the end.”
Mngqithi has played down the meeting with former Downs coach Mosimane, whose Ahly team eliminated them in the quarter-finals last season.
Instead, Mngqithi has raised concern over the extensive traveling they will be making to Sudan to face Hilal and Merrikh
“The only challenge in the group is that it includes extensive travelling to Sudan and that’s where our biggest challenge lies,” added Mngqithi.
“But you cannot ask for other teams, we do realise that all of them will be stiff competition.
“ It’s a group that we will try very hard to get out of and we are confident as the technical team that the group of players that we have is capable of helping us get through.
“But we will have to earn it, we will have to work very hard to achieve our goal.
“Ahly has always given us problems. They have always eliminated us at the quarterfinal stage and that on its own is suggestive of the challenges we will face. But we will have to go out there and give it our best shot.”
