DURBAN - Mamelodi Sundowns’ senior coach Manqoba Mngqithi expects a difficult encounter when his side host TP Mazembe at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria this afternoon.
Downs have transferred their excellent league form into the Champions League as they enter the contest against Mazembe after having won all three of their group stage games to date.
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A win against Mazembe will see them secure their passage into the knockout stage of the competition in dominant fashion.
Masandawana may have a psychological advantage heading into the game as they recorded an impressive 2-1 away win over Mazembe earlier this month.
“We are aware that we cannot take this game for granted,” said Mngqithi.
“We will be playing against a five-time winner of the CAF Champions League.
“It’s important that we approach the game with an open mind and mentality, and hopefully we will then guarantee ourselves a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.”
With Pitso Mosimane’s Egyptian champions Al Ahly currently languishing in third position in Group A, there is a possibility that Sundowns could potentially meet their former coach in the knockout stages.
Mngqithi said that if such a situation arises, it will be dealt with professionally with emotions being cast aside.
“Once you get to the quarter-finals of the competition, you will likely find yourself against a side which has won it,” the Downs coach said.
“If we don’t get Al Ahly, we may be drawn against (Tunisian giants) Esperance (Sportive de Tunis).
“Facing Pitso or any other coach should never be an emotional game.
“I’m working with professionals who will find out the finer details of any opposition that we will be playing against.
“Everybody is fighting in the team. The competition that we have in the squad is helping us and everyone is saying that they want to be part of a successful team,” said Mngqithi.
Mngqithi hailed the impact of his technical team and said that they had done a lot of homework to analyse Mazembe and how to take the game to them.
“We have done extensive work on TP. We know their strengths and their players to watch,” he said.
“They gave us a very tough game previously.
“Truth be told, we want to close this chapter of the Champions League as quickly as possible. We are looking for a chance to get the three points. An open game suits a team like Sundowns and we thrive on teams that come strong against us,” said Mngqithi.
Sundowns have won their last two games against Mazembe, having also beaten them 1-0 in the CAF Super Cup final in early 2017.