Pirates lacked experience in Champions League – Pitso

The Buccaneers bowed out of the continental competition in group stages, but Mosimane believes that the club that he once represented as a player will do much better in the upcoming edition.

“Pirates did very well to go to the group stages of the Champions League after not competing in the competition for some time, they did exceptionally well. The players don’t have the experience,” Mosimane said at the back of a 0-0 Absa Premiership against Milutin Sredojević’s side on Monday night.

READ: It’s difficult to play against Pirates – Mosimane

“I think Happy Jele and Wayne Sandilands [and Asavela Mbekile] are the only guys who have the experience but Alfred Ndengane and Thembikosi Lorch have not played in the Champions League and you could see that they lacked experience. But it comes with time, they have the quality coaches and they will come out of the group stages, it is a question of time,” Mosimane added.

Sundowns are set to play Egyptian giants Al Ahly this Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Caf Champions League and Mosimane says Masandawana will show respect to the competition’s record holders.

“They are a big club, they are bigger than Wydad Casablanca and Esperance. It is the team of the century and they make transfers of 6-million US Dollars, it is unbelievable. That team is the biggest club on the continent, just look at the badge and you will see the stars on top of it and at the bottom and then you realise that we are small boys,” said Mosimane.

He added: “We need to try more on the continent because Pirates have led us and gave the country two positions in the Champions League and two positions in the Confederation Cup and we took over from them. We are giving them a chance to play in the Champions League now without winning the league.”

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