Modise backs Sundowns to go all the way in Champions League

Mamelodi Sundowns are in Morocco to play AS FAR on Saturday night, looking to get their first win of their Caf Champions League group stage campaign

This match comes after their opening goalless draw at home to AS Maniema Union. 

If there was ever pressure on the Brazilians to turn their fortunes around on the biggest club competition on the African continent, Teko Modise has just turned it up a notch.

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A top footballer in his playing days, Modise has made a successful transition from player to pundit. Speaking on the club’s pitchside podcast, the 41-year-old believes the current Sundowns have all the tools to go all the way in the champions league this season.

“I still believe that they have better quality than we had and maybe the challenges are even better than we had because we had to learn as we went. Travelling wise, I remember we were at the airport for nine hours sitting on the benches and sleeping on the floor,” said Modise, who was part of the Sundowns team that lifted the champions league trophy in 2016.

“Now we know the routes because we’ve been there, the challenges are a little bit better but they still need to win those games. I still feel that if we can have 10 players that went to the AFCON and came third on the continent, we have no business not going all the way to the final of the Champions League. It’s not putting pressure on but it’s a fact.”

Such has been Masandawana’s indifferent form in domestic cup competitions that questions have been raised about their ability to follow the class of 2016. Modise is hoping the star-studded Tshwane giants overcome the current wobble they’re going through.

“Sometimes it hurts me in the sense that I hope the guys know how good they are. Sometimes you forget when you get a couple of bad results. Also when you do analysis of the game, you’re not looking at the good things that you’re doing but you look at the mistakes that you want to correct,” he added.

“In tough games, how we survived is that we always remembered the good games that we had. There’s also some arrogance in the team that certain players need to have and not because you’re a bad person but because of the winning mentality that you have.

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“For me I think it will be 2-0 (to Sundowns) and we need to keep the zero because in the group right now they are number one.”