Mamelodi Sundowns will face a tough test against former mentor Pitso Mosimane when they tackle hosts Al Ahly at the Al Salam Stadium in Cairo for a Group A CAF Champions League match on the evening of Saturday 26 February 2022.
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Kick-off is at 9pm CAT.
It has been almost 18 months since ‘Jingles’ left the Brazilians for the Red Devils, but his influence on the success of the current South African champions cannot be understated – despite the fine work done by ‘Downs co-coaches Manqoba Mngqithi and Rulani Mokwena in the interim.
Sundowns have started Group A solidly, claiming a 1-0 home win over Al Hilal before a 0-0 draw away to Al Merrikh in back-to-back clashes against Sudanese opponents.
However, they will feel that they should have claimed a more emphatic win in the first game and taken a full haul of points from the second, with ‘Downs guilty of uncharacteristically poor execution in the final third.
Mokwena has called on his team to strive to be better, while also not overestimating the importance of successive games against the reigning CAFCL title holders.
“We're completely aware it's a very difficult group. We can never make that mistake of focusing all our attention on Al Ahly," the co-coach said.
Mokwena added, “Before we even speak about Al Ahly and the next match we focus on the previous game, and try to see why we could not win, and then try to train and improve. That is the reality, that we are never satisfied. Whether we win, lose or draw we have to keep improving. That's the work we do regardless of domestic competition or the Champions League.”
Al Ahly, meanwhile, are a game behind in the group after missing Matchday 1 due to their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup. They played their first match last weekend and were held 0-0 away by Al Hilal, leaving them three points behind leaders Sundowns, but with a game in hand (set to be played on March 5, at home to Al Merrikh).
“A good start is to win and not draw, but leaving Khartoum with a point is a good result. Given the atmosphere, it is a good game and a reasonable result, and we will work to ensure that the team is in the best condition for the upcoming games,” said coach Mosimane.
In head-to-head stats, Ahly and Sundowns have met in 10 matches dating back as far as their first meeting in the 2001 CAFCL final. The Red Devils have claimed five wins compared to one for the Brazilians, while four games have been drawn.
The teams last met in the quarterfinals of last season’s Champions League, with Ahly winning 3-1 on aggregate over two legs (2-0 victory in Cairo and 1-1 draw in Tshwane).