CAF FOCUS
Mihlali Baleka|Published
Mamelodi Sundowns have ample belief that they can defend their continental crown and rise to the occasion, though coach Miguel Cardoso has prioritised taking each game as it comes.
Winning back-to-back CAF Champions League titles will not be easy for Sundowns, as every top team – and first-time entrant – will be coming for them. However, the Brazilians remain unfazed.
While Sundowns won the competition for the first time in 10 years last season, their success was no fluke. They had been consistent contenders in the pursuit, reaching the semi-finals three seasons ago and the final two seasons ago before going all the way.
Senior player Thapelo Morena drew parallels with their domestic success, noting how the club won a record-extending eight league titles in a row before relinquishing the crown to Orlando Pirates last season.
“As a team, it’s something that we are taking responsibility for,” said Morena of their aspirations to win consecutive continental titles. “We believe in it. We can do it. We are willing to do it because we’ve done it here at home in the PSL. Now, we know the responsibility that comes after winning.
“We know that teams will come at us, regardless of who we face. When we play at home, we’ll give everything. That’s the most important thing on the pitch.”
However, Cardoso has called for cool heads. While defending the title remains the ultimate target, he has urged his troops to focus strictly on one match at a time, starting with their clash against Wiliete at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night (8pm).
The match is a must-win for Sundowns to secure qualification for the Champions League group stage after a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Angola last week.
“Even the question of what the continent expects is not important to us,” Cardoso said. “It’s about what the team wants: taking the pressure off ourselves and putting it on others. We only worry about ourselves. We are focusing on Wiliete, and there’s nothing more important on the horizon than them. Absolutely nothing.
“That’s the mistake that losers sometimes make – looking too far ahead and failing to give importance to what’s right in front of them. We don’t suffer from mindsets that can weaken us.”
Winning a second title in a row would be a historic and welcome feat for Thapelo Morena, who missed out on a winners' medal in 2016 after being unregistered for the tournament following his mid-August move from Bloemfontein Celtic.