Sundowns on the brink of another Champions League record
The Brazilians could reach the knockout stage with two games to spare for the first time if they beat USM Alger today.
Pitso Mosimane shares trophy with Sundowns fans (Gavin Barker/BackpagePix)
Mamelodi Sundowns are on the verge of registering their most successful Caf Champions League group stage campaign this afternoon when they face Algerian side USM Algers in the fourth pool game of Group C where they sit at the summit with seven points.
If Downs win, it will be the first time they qualify with two games to spare and that is why head coach Pitso Mosimane says even though the Algerian oppositions are not the biggest opponents that they have faced in the competition, the occasion at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a huge one.
“The game today is the most important game and it might not be profiled that high but for us it is really important for many reasons. First it is important that we try and cancel out USMA out of the race because if we win, mathematically they cannot remove us and if they can get the same points with us, Caf works with head-to-head when the points are equal. We won away and if we win here we automatically eliminate them,” said Mosimane.
Should Masandawana get all three points today, Mosimane says it does not mean they will take their foot off the paddle and direct their focus on the Absa Premiership instead, as that might be the general assumption.
“Sundowns are a team that is too ambitious and we are always a little bit greedy because we want everything and that can also be a little bit of challenge. We are used to be in the position to play three tournaments in seven days. We came from the Champions League group stages and went into the Telkom Knockout, which we just won, and the league. We are used to this but it does not mean that it is easy because if it were, we would have won everything. I mean, we just drew with Bidvest (Wits) in the league so it shows that it is not easy.
“I guess it is the same for Manchester City, Liverpool and all of these big teams in the world. But do you know what it comes with? It is comes with a lot of injuries. We have not had Mosa Lebusa and Gaston Sirino because they are out.”
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