Sundowns set to face tough Champions League draw

Pitso Mosimane and his Mamelodi Sundowns outfit are set to face a tough draw in the Caf Champions League quarterfinals after they lost to Wydad Casablanca and subsequently finished as Group A runners-up behind the Moroccans.

Masandawana had hoped to advance to the knockout stages as the group winners but their 1-0 loss in Morocco saw their rivals taking the top spot by virtue of the head-to-head rule as the first-leg in Pretoria resulted in a 2-1 win for Mosimane’s men.

With the draw set to take place this week, the Brazilians will be paired with continental heavyweights, either Democratic Republic of Congo’s TP Mazembe, or defending champions Esperance of Tunisia, or Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

READ: Sundowns pipped by Wydad in Champions League

However, five of Sundowns’ stars have linked up with the rest of their Bafana Bafana team-mates in Tunisia as Stuart Baxter prepares his charges to take on Libya on Saturday.

For Mosimane, the international break brings about a lot of “stress”.

“The Fifa break for us is not a break because we have got those five players going to Bafana. Kennedy Mweene, Denis Onyango, Anthony Laffor and others go to their countries,” said Mosimane.

“The Fifa break is a stressful period because we never get all of the players free from injuries. It is always Laffor and Denis (who come back with injuries) … Since Sibusiso Vilakazi went to Bafana he has not been back. The Fifa break for us is a totally different game, it is good for other teams,” he added.

Immediately after the international break, the coach and his side will resume their Absa Premiership title defence against crosstown rivals SuperSport United, who Mosimane, among others, counts as title contenders.

“It is a tough league, Bidvest Wits and Cape Town City have a good opportunity, they can win it. SuperSport United are also there, don’t write them off,” Mosimane said.

He added: “It is a long way to go and I am happy that we can bring in players and rotate and we keep our attitude of attack and the way we play. I am happy with that because the games are coming thick and fast.”

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