Key Highlights :
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has explained why their thumping win over Belouizdad in the CAF Champions League should not be taken for granted. The Brazilians got back their best in the CAF Champions League after hammering Belouizdad 4-1 in the quarter-final first-leg at Stade Nelson Mandela in Algiers.
Mokwena dismissed suggestions that their win was “easy” and explained that Belouizdad had a number of Algerian internationals, which shows it was not an easy task for them. He credited their big win to thorough preparations and video analysis of the Algerian side.
“We did a lot of work on the opposition, we prepared and put in a lot of hours to make sure that the performance was good and we beat a very good side,” Mokwena said in a press conference after the game. “A lot of internationals, Algerian internationals, (goalkeeper Alexis) Guendouz, Traore, (Youcef) Laouafi, (Mokhtar) Belkhither, these are players that play for the Algerian national team and so congratulations once again to the players.”
Mokwena also revealed that the players worked on their concentration levels during the game, which required sacrifice. “The game was about small details and it will always be about small details when you get to this level. We asked for a lot of concentration, a lot of sacrifice,” he said. “The players also worked very hard in watching the opposition videos, so we knew a lot about the opposition and as I said congratulations to the football club, the players and the technical team. But as I reiterated even before, only half-way.”
Mokwena’s explanation of why the win should not be taken for granted is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players and coaching staff. They put in the effort to make sure that they were well prepared for the match and it paid off in the end. With the second-leg taking place in a few weeks’ time, Sundowns will be hoping to replicate their performance and progress to the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League.