MAMELODI Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi says once you get into the group stages of the Caf Champions League, there’s no space to hide.
He said, inevitable, you are going to meet top sides on the continent in the Caf premier club competition in the form of the Champions League.
That’s what the Brazilians were presented with as they were drawn with Al Ahly, two Sudanese sides Al Merrikh and Al Hilal in a tough Group A, when the draw was conducted last week.
Facing Ahly, it will be the fourth time in a row, as the Egyptian giants knocked them out last year in the quarter finals, as it was the case in the previous season in the stage.
During last year’s competition, Ahly, under former Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane, went on to claim the competition when they defeated Kaizer Chiefs in the final.
“The teams we are playing are all well coached. Al Ahly are the biggest team in Africa. Al Hilal are one of the most formidable teams in the Champions League – they are always in the group stage, always pushing for the quarter-finals,” Mngqithi said.
“We haven’t played Al Merrikh but it’s the same story as Sundowns, Chiefs and Pirates in SA when you compare them and Hilal in Sudan.
“We’ll have to work very hard. Al-Hilal gave us trouble last year – we beat them at home and drew away.
“Al Ahly have always taken us out of the quarter-finals, and that on its own is suggestive of the challenges we are going to face.
“Once you get into the last-16 it’s always difficult in terms of who you’d want to play against. Probably 75 if not more than 90% of the teams who are there have won the Champions League, so there is no chance of avoiding anyone.
“We just have to understand that at this stage of the competition everyone there is looking to win it, so just gear yourself up and make sure your team is strong enough to compete.
“The biggest challenge with the group might be that it involves extensive travel to Sudan.
“It’s a group we will fight very hard to progress through. We are confident the squad we have is capable of helping us through.”
During last season’s group stage matches, Sundowns faced Hilal, winning 2-0 in the first leg in Pretoria before coming away with a goalless draw in the second in Sudan, to top the group.
The Champions League group stage matches will start next month, just a week later after the conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Cameroon.
