Sundowns ready to break northern stranglehold on Champions League: Rulani

01 March 2024 - 09:06
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Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena celebrates with players during their DStv Premiership match against AmaZulu at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena celebrates with players during their DStv Premiership match against AmaZulu at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena says there is nothing his side can prove and they are good enough to end the dominance of the north Africans giants in the CAF Champions League.

Since winning the Champions League title in 2016, Sundowns have struggled to stamp their authority in the continental competition.

However, after clinching the inaugural African Football League (AFL) last year, beating Egypt's Al Ahly in the semifinals and nemeses Wydad Athletic of Morocco in the final, Mokwena hopes his team will be inspired to go all the way in the Champions League and win it this time.

Sundowns host TP Mazembe in their final Group A match at Lucas Moripe Stadium on tomorrow (3pm), where the winner will be guaranteed top spot.

"I think we still have to send the message [to doubters]," Mokwena said on Thursday.

"Sundowns have proven they are one of the best teams on the continent and we will win the Champions League. What we have to do is to make sure our performances are good enough, we are consistent and we work hard to put ourselves in that position.

"For the past six years we have been in the quarterfinals. Last season we were in the semifinal for the first time on something like four or five occasions.

"We want to be that team that is always there. It is not good enough to think  you can win a continental trophy without a big stamp on the continent.

"That stamp means you have to be in the quarterfinal every year, semifinals, and this is what Al Ahly are doing, this is what Wydad [Casablanca] are doing. They are there every season in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

"Eventually we can break the dominance of the north African sides in the competition and we will win the Champions League."

Mokwena explained what it will take for the club to finally win the title this season.

"It's going to take a lot of consistency, a lot of hard work and a lot of luck," he said.

"You only have to go to the last season, for an example, where with one game to go, Al Ahly were already out of the competition.

"It is something we believe is within reach, but we have to go one game at a time and one stage of the competition at a time and try our level best to perform there."


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