Kekana calls for Sundowns fans to paint Loftus yellow on Sunday

Mamelodi Sundowns’ quest for a second Caf Champions League title in earnest gets underway against FC Nouadhibou on Sunday.

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Sundowns will be back to Loftus Versfeld where they lifted the African Football League (AFL) two weeks ago before the international Fifa break.

This time, they will begin their group stage campaign against the Mauritanian top-flight club who will be making their debut at this stage of the competition. FC Nouadhibou are unbeaten in nine games heading into the clash in Tshwane.

Defender Musa Lebusa, who formed part of a miserly defensive unit that only conceded once in the AFL, revealed how the team has evolved over the last couple of seasons. The Brazilians were criticised for also adopting time-wasting tactics in the final against Wydad.

“When we played them (Wydad) in the first 45 minutes, the coach emphasized that we need to get a goal because if we don’t there won’t be a game in the second half,” Lebusa reflected.

“And we got a goal and it was in our hands. We had to make sure that we use their tactics against them and maybe as a football fan you would say it’s not nice but they do it to us when we get to the side. Are we proud of it? Maybe not but we’re AFL champions,” added the Sundowns defender.

The Tshwane side will be confident of a win against FC Nouadhibou in front of their home fans. They will also be buoyed by the fact that their ladies team were crowned Champions League winners for the second time in three seasons last Sunday.

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Grant Kekana has also asked the Sundowns faithful to come in droves for the match-up against the so-called minnows of the group that also includes Pyramids of Egypt and DRC giants TP Mazembe.

“This is a plea from us this season, we all want you guys at the stadium to paint it yellow and you saw what it did to us in terms of motivation in the final of the AFL,” he said.

“So we just want you guys there to sing your lungs out so that we can make you even happier. So come in numbers and be our twelfth man on the day.”