One of the prerequisites of playing for Mamelodi Sundowns, whether it's mentioned or not, is learning not crying over spilt milk. An ability to move quickly is required, especially because they are involved in so many competitions.
A few days after the shock defeat to Magesi FC in the Carling Knockout, head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has to ensure his players are in the right frame of mind to tackle their latest assignment, the CAF Champions League group stages, which kicks off on Tuesday night on home soil against Congolese outfit Maniema Union.
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This is nothing new for Sundowns. In the past, they've had to deal with setbacks and have shown strength to bounce back, and this will be tested again when they commence to a round robin phase which will also see them playing against Moroccan clubs AS FAR and Raja Casablanca along the way.
The Group B tie tonight will be played at Loftus Stadium, with the possibility of Mngqithi making a few changes to the side which started the final on Saturday.
"From what I have seen, I think everybody is aware of the challenges we've been through, more especially our internationals because I think that was also a big factor in the game we played over the weekend. We couldn't change the team that we know can make us win the match, but at the back of our minds, we also knew we had a lot of players who played two 90's (minutes) in a short space of time and that had an effect in the latter stages of the game, which is why we also had to make some changes," Mngqithi said on Monday at Loftus Stadium, ahead of the clash the next day.
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"But I think the team is looking good. The only thing that might be important is to make sure the team is fresh because we can't make any legitimate excuse. We have to try to win matches and not make excuses."
The one way Sundowns can lessen the pain endured over the weekend is to get back to winning ways. Mngqithi is well aware of the responsibility they have to deliver.
"We have a big responsibility. We know that this one is our bread and butter. We cannot afford to falter. We have a big responsibility to our fans, to our board, to ourselves and families as well because it's one tournament we have been trying to win and we have to push very hard to get to that level to find (ourselves) in the last match of the tournament and see what will happen from there."
By Tshepang Mailwane
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