Mosimane: Tembo deserves credit for SuperSport's Confed final

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says SuperSport United assistant Kaitano Tembo must be given credit for helping the club to reach the Caf Confederation Cup final.

Tembo‚ who has been with United for many years as a player and assistant to a number of coaches‚ took charge of the club in three crucial group stage matches in the Confederation Cup when Stuart Baxter was negotiating his move to Bafana Bafana.

During Baxter’s protracted negotiations with Safa‚ Tembo managed to pull off five points from a possible nine with a hardfought 2-2 draw against TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi‚ goalless draw with Horoya AC in Guinea and an impressive 5-3 win over FC Mounana in Gabon.

United again travel to Democratic Republic of Congo giants TP Mazembe in hostile Lubumbashi for the second leg of the final next month with Eric Tinkler as head coach‚ and Tembo’s first-hand knowledge of the opposition and conditions will be vital.

Mosimane‚ who won the Caf Champions League with Sundowns last season and is the reigning African coach of the year‚ said former Zimbabwean defender Tembo played a crucial role for United and deserves credit for the work he did under difficult conditions.

“Kaitano Tembo must be given credit for what he did with the team earlier in the competition‚ and I am not taking anything away from Eric Tinkler‚” Mosimane said.

“Tembo helped to take the team to where it is at the moment and we are not giving him credit for that.

“He has done exceptionally well. He went to TP Mazambe alone and came back‚ he helped to take SuperSport to the final‚ and we must give him credit.”

Mosimane praised United for reaching the final.

“I need to congratulate SuperSport United for reaching the final of the Confederation Cup‚” he said.

“I think that at least top six or seven teams in the PSL are capable of being in the final of the Confed and at least the last-eight of the Champions League.

“Champions League is a little bit different because you must have resources to go through to the group stages and the last four‚ but SuperSport United deserve to be in the Confederation Cup final because they have quality.”

Tembo also took charge of two matches in the league where he claimed a vital 1-0 win over eventual champions Bidvest Wits and a commendable 2-2 draw against Kaizer Chiefs.