Mamelodi Sundowns need to beat Wydad Casablanca anyhow – pretty‚ not pretty‚ just get the three points‚ Downs goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene has said.
If you were to single out a team who have stood between Sundowns and repeating their 2016 Champions League success‚ it would be their Group A opponents at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday night‚ Wydad.
The Moroccan giants expelled Sundowns on penalties in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Champions League (ACL) after both teams won their home legs 1-0. Wydad were champions that year.
In last year’s group stage opening game Downs blew a 1-0 lead when left-back Tebogo Langerman stopped playing believing the ball had gone behind for a goal-kick‚ in an eventual 1-1 draw.
Sundowns lost 1-0 away‚ and finished third in the group‚ exiting before the quarterfinals.
Downs have started the 2018-19 ACL group stage with a 2-1 defeat against Lobi Stars in Nigeria.
Desperate to avoid a start similar to last year‚ where the Brazilians could not win their first three group games‚ the Brazilians need a win against Wydad to get back on the front foot in a group that also includes Asec Abidjan of Ivory Coast.
“Look‚ they are a very difficult team to beat. But I think it is overdue now‚” Mweene said.
“We’re not looking at revenge. We’re just looking at winning the games at home and collecting the three points.
“Whether we play well or what‚ all we want is to just get past the group stage.
“I think I can’t call it a rivalry [with Wydad]. I call it pride. They know the kind of a team we are‚ and we do them. They’ve got good players‚ we’ve got good players.
“We’ll just have to wait for this Saturday to see what we can do. The only thing we want is three points‚ so we just have to win the game anyhow.”
Downs held the lead against Lobi in Enugu on Friday through Anthony Laffor’s 38th-minute opener‚ but conceded a penalty just before the break by Yaya Kone‚ then a winner by Mathias Martins in the 52nd minute.
“It’s not the result we wanted but it wasn’t meant to be‚” Mweene said.
“We are working hard not to have the same start to the group stage as last year. We know where we fell short‚ and the mistakes we made‚ and we’re working on it that it doesn’t repeat itself.
“We started with a loss‚ which was not what we wanted. Now there’s another game‚ and in Champions League you have to use home advantage.”
Wydad began Group A in emphatic fashion‚ thrashing Asec 5-2 in Rabat.
Also in the Champions League‚ Orlando Pirates host Guinea's Horoya at Orlando Stadium on Friday night. The Buccaneers began Group B with a 0-0 away draw against FC Platinum in Bulawayo.
SA clubs in continental football this weekend –
Caf Champions League‚ group stages
Friday:
Orlando Pirates v Horoya (Guinea) (Orlando Stadium‚ 6pm)
Saturday:
Mamelodi Sundowns v Wydad Casablanca (Morocoo) (Lucas Moripe Stadium‚ 9pm)
Caf Confederation Cup‚ playoff round
Saturday:
Kaizer Chiefs v Zesco United (Zambia) (FNB Stadium‚ 8pm) – Zesco won first leg 3-1
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 