‘We believe we can go all the way’, says Onyango after Sundowns’ back-to-back Ahly wins
'It makes us believe that we can make it all the way to the final', insists the Downs goalminder.
Denis Onyango of Mamelodi Sundowns. Picture: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
If you are able to beat the defending champions in any competition, you automatically become confident and optimistic about your chances of going all the way and winning the title, and that is exactly how the mood is at Chloorkop as Mamelodi Sundowns are still patting themselves on the back for beating Al-Ahly twice in a fortnight.
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Masandawana stunned their former coach Pitso Mosimane and his Red Devils with a 1-0 win this past Saturday at the FNB Stadium, and goalkeeper Denis Onyango – who played no role in either games – believes that his side are in pole position to reach the final for what would be the third time in the club’s history.
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“Winning against Al-Ahly back-to-back is massive and it boosts the self confidence of the team and makes us believe that we can make it all the way to the final. But it is a process and we need to stay humble, try to win the next game and win the quarterfinals because it is not easy,” said Onyango.
“The Champions League is a very difficult tournament to win but the clean sheets that we got play a huge role in the qualification because the team has the confidence when they go forward, they know that it is safe at the back but the goalkeepers are doing a great job together with the in-field players because we defend from the top. The goalkeepers try to command the team and try to keep everyone on top of their game and whoever plays always gives their best,” he added.
In domestic matters, Downs were drawn against Summerfield Dynamos in the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup and Onyango outlines the difference in preparing against a continental giant like Ahly, versus an ABC Motsepe outfit.
“We have to take the game very seriously like we do with any other game but most importantly they have some few guys who have played at the highest level and their coach also has some experience. But for us it is about getting the team to the next level and try to qualify for the semifinals and give the game the respect that the match deserves,” Onyango said.
He adds: “The Nedbank Cup is quite awkward because when you play a team like Dynamos, you don’t have a lot of footage of them and we don’t know how dangerous they are. We have other clubs being knocked out by the so-called smaller teams so the analysts need to dig deeper and get something for us to watch.”
