Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says Wydad Casablanca has been playing in the CAF Champions League since the days of apartheid.
He reacted after his team played to a goalless draw against the Moroccans in the semi-final second leg at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
Sundowns lost 2-1 to Wydad in the first leg in Morocco. Mosimane also said they have figured the North African teams out.
Wydad did well to neutralise the PSL champions at the packed venue. Sundowns did not have clear-cut opportunities, while the Moroccans were very disciplined in defence and also dealing with Sundowns danger men Gaston Sirino, Themba Zwane and captain Hlompho Kekana.
Mosimane says they need to be mature in the future
Mosimane also did not want to blame the referee who handled the match. There were some incidents where the match officials made decisions that were not well received by the large crowd.
‘Jingles’ says they did not play well to win.
Sundowns failed to reach the group stage last year after winning the trophy in 2016. They failed to defend their title after they were knocked out by Wydad in the quarter-finals in 2017.
Sundowns won the champions league in 2016 when they still had the likes of Keagan Dolly, Khama Billiat, Bongani Zulu, Percy Tau and Leonardo Castro.
Mosimane bought new players such as Jeremy Brockie, Aubrey Ngoma and Gaston Sirino. Mosimane says the current team is still under construction.
Most the Sundowns players did not come to the party on Saturday. Kekana, who launches most of Sundowns attacks, had a poor game.
Lebogang Maboe was also ineffective in attack. Mosimane says the match was highly tactical.
Central midfielder Tiyani Mabunda did not train for most of the week because his daughter was in hospital.
He missed the midweek league victory match against Black Leopards. Mosimane says he fielded him due to loyalty –
Report by Vincent Sitsula
