‘Eventually we will score’: Rulani backs Sundowns to get goals in Cairo

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena is backing the quality attackers in his team to break their scoring duck of their last two Caf Champions League group stage matches when they meet Pyramids FC in Cairo on Tuesday needing a win to get back on track in Group A.

After a 1-0 defeat away against TP Mazembe and 0-0 draw at home against Pyramids two weekends ago, Sundowns, who have three points from their opening 3-0 home win against Mauritania’s FC Nouadhibou, seem likely to need a win in Egypt to preserve their chances of progression. They meet Pyramids at Cairo's 30 June Air Defence Stadium (6pm).

Downs lead Group A on goal difference but share their four-point total with all three of the other sides.

“It’s a very even group, very difficult group and you can see that every match matters,” Mokwena said in his prematch press conference in Cairo on Monday evening.

“It also means that, even though the first way to decide the log standings at the end is head-to-head [if teams are level], goal difference and the number of goals scored will also be important in terms of who comes out of the group.

“So it's important for us to continue to create chances, because we have been creating a lot; and of course with the type of players we have eventually we will score.

“We scored three in our league in the midweek game [beating Cape Town Spurs 3-0 in the Premiership at Loftus last week].

“And it is just in the two group stage matches where we struggled a bit. But it happens in football. Football is not a high-scoring game anyway by nature.

“But we will continue to create the chances, we’ve got some very good players and we will take the opportunities.”

Mokwena is impressed with Pyramids' balance in their side. He expects a more attacking Pyramids, spurred by the intelligent playmaking of Ramadan Sobhi and hard running of Bafana Bafana striker Fagrie Lakay, to be far more attacking in Cairo than the defensive combination that snatched a draw in Pretoria with 10 men.

Pyramids, presently in second place in the Egyptian Premier League to Al Ahly, also look set to start dangerous winger Mostafa Fathi, who made an impression off the bench at Loftus.