Mamelodi Sundowns have one foot in the semi-final of the CAF Champions League after beating Algeria’s CR Belouizdad 4-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie last Saturday.
Despite going into this weekend’s second leg with the advantage, Sundowns coach, Rhulani Mokoena says they will play with the same high intensity they displayed in the first leg.
Sundowns will reach the semi-final of the competition for the first time since 2018 should they win the tie after they were knocked out in the quarterfinals in the last three editions.
It’s an open secret that Mamelodi Sundowns wants to not only win the CAF Champions League again but to also be giants in club football on the African continent.
And judging by their performances in the current CAF Champions League competition, where they have beaten top teams on the continent away, they aren’t far from achieving that.
One wouldn’t be blamed for thinking Downs could afford to take their foot off the pedal against the Algerian side on Saturday. But coach, Mokoena says top teams like record UEFA Champions League champions, Real Madrid give their best regardless of the first-leg results. Mokoena says his team will go all out for a win.
“There are two games that I watched; they went to Anfield, and they won 5-2. I watched to see what organisational forms that they had but they played like their lives depended on it and that’s the message we delivered to the boys this morning,” Mokoena elaborates.
Mokoena says Belouizdad are a quality side and have shown in the past that they can get a positive result away.
The Algerian side beat Downs 2-0 at home in the Group stage of the 2021 edition of the competition after a 5-1 defeat in the first leg.
“Two years ago, we played them in the group stages, and we beat them, but they came to Pretoria, and they beat us, so we know that they are a team that has quality,” Mokoena explains.
Saturday’s match will be played at the Loftus Versfeld stadium and will kick off at four o’clock.
