Humble Mosimane says Sundowns targeting next year's Champions League glory

29 July 2016 - 16:44 By Marc Strydom

Don’t start calling Mamelodi Sundowns favourites for this year’s Caf Champions League. Right now‚ Downs coach Pitso Mosimane insists‚ the Brazilians are still having fun‚ with their focus on winning next year’s Champions League (ACL). This despite having reached the semi-finals of this year’s competition with Wednesday night’s 1-0 win against Zamalek at Lucas Moripe Stadium.Mosimane insists that‚ despite their wins home and away against Zamalek‚ the second-most successful ACL team with five titles to Cairo neighbours Al Ahly’s eight‚ and reaching the semifinals as winners of Group B‚ Sundowns are still just having fun in the competition. It has been Downs’ line‚ and an until now successful approach‚ since they were reinstated into the group stage after the expulsion from the competition of AS Vita Club‚ the team from Democratic Republic of Congo who the Brazilians lost against in the second round.“No‚ let’s leave the favourites thing – let’s have fun. Next year‚ we’re going strong‚” Mosimane said.“We are still on a learning curve. But this learning curve is a little bit sweet‚ and it’s got a nice melody. And we are listening to the melody‚ and going with the melody. “And why not? It’s a nice whirlpool and a dream‚ and we are not going to be woken up from that dream.” Mosimane did admit that Downs’ run in the group stage – also beating Nigerians Enyimba 2-1 at home and ES Setif 2-0 in Algeria‚ who were then expelled because of crowd violence in that game – has sent out a message that the SA champions need to be regarded with respect.“The guys in Egypt [after the win against Zamalek in Cairo] said to me‚ ‘You look like you can do something’. I said‚ ‘Ja‚ I also see‚ like‚ there’s something that can come up’‚” Mosimane said.“I don’t know if it can. But the message is that they must respect South African teams. Let’s be honest‚ Zamalek were scared here. They sat back‚ they didn’t want to play.“They came for a draw but fortunately they scored an own goal [by Ali Mossad in the 80th minute].“The only difference is that we were not very aggressive in the final third. I think we enjoyed the game too much. But it’s also good sometimes to have a relaxed environment and control the game. And by the way we played Zamalek. We didn’t play a small team.” Mosimane also admitted Downs’ double against Zamalek has continued to poke holes in the myth of superiority of North African clubs against South Africa’s continental representatives.“It’s good for the confidence of the team. It’s good for the confidence of the Sundowns family. It’s good for the confidence for South Africa.“That the gap is getting closer and closer between us and the North Africans. And also it’s a little bit of bragging rights to say: ‘We beat Zamalek’. But there’s no use beating Zamalek and then you don’t go through to the final.”Sundowns became the third SA team to reach a continental semifinal in four years. Orlando Pirates lost in the final of both the 2013 Champions League (to Al Ahly) and last year’s Caf Confederation Cup (to Tunisian club Etoile du Sahel). Mosimane said that Downs adding to that unprecedented period of continental club success signals an upturn if fortunes for South African football.“The message it sends is for the guys [Sundowns’ players] to have confidence. The message in South Africa is to understand the importance of these competitions.“And the message is that‚ I think Pirates and Sundowns‚ and even Wits‚ we can go to the semi-finals of the Confederation Cup and Champions League regularly.“The North Africans always have two – two Egyptians teams in the semis‚ two Algerians‚ two Tunisians. So we can turn this thing around a little bit and also take it to the senior national team. Because the younger national teams – U-17s‚ U-20s and Banyana – are making it.“We need to look at football differently in SA‚ and fill the stadium‚ and let’s go for it. It’s an opportunity. Bafana are doing well also. We need to go for it.” – TMG Digital..

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