Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has reacted to the CAF Champions League draw which will see the DStv Premiership champions take on Egyptian giants Al Ahly once again, this time without Pitso Mosimane at the helm.
Sundowns were drawn into group B with Ahly, Sudanese outfit Al Hilal and Coton Sport from Cameroon. The group stage matches are set to start in February, with Sundowns having enough time until then to get some homework done on their opponents.
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"First, is to recognize that there are a lot of difficult teams that have made it into the group stages of the Champions League. The Champions League over the years has become such a difficult competition for everybody, regardless of who is picked or pitted against in the groups. It was always going to be difficult and that is an exception that we made and we've come to understand," Mokwena said via the club's media department.
"There are huge resemblances with regards to familiarity from 2021 in the group that we had. Again, we travel to Al Ahly in Egypt, and we had similar foes last season. We had an interesting trip to Sudan, which we again anticipate for this season. A difficult team in Al Hilal, who has some good players that we are familiar with, like Gerald Phiri. Even though they have changed coaches from last season, there is still a lot of Portuguese influence in the team."
"And then there is an interesting trip to Coton Sport, one that we are looking forward to. The challenge for us, number one, is to get out of the group."
The last time Sundowns played against Ahly, Pitso Mosimane was in charge, but has since left, which has seen a few changes in the team.
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"It's always difficult to travel to Cairo. Al Ahly is always difficult to play against away from home. They've changed coaches and they have made a lot of improvements in the squad. It's going to be a little bit different. We have seen a little bit of their games, but now we have to zoom in with a little bit of a technical focus. We have our analysts working around the clock to get as much information as we possibly can. Over the years, Sundowns and Al Ahly has become a big fixture. It's going to be strategic, both home and away."
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