Mamelodi Sundowns can reach the semifinals of the Caf Champions League‚ said the coach of AS Vita Club‚ the team whose disqualification saw Downs move into the group stage.

Sundowns began their round robin campaign in the best possible way‚ beating ES Setif 2-0 in Algeria on Saturday.

Vita coach Florent Ibenge said the Brazilians have the quality to progress past the group stage.

“They are a good team. I think they can do well in this group and get to the semifinals. I hope they do that. Good luck to them‚” Ibenge‚ also coach of the Democratic Republic of Congo national team‚ said.

Sundowns are also grouped with Nigerian club Enyimba and Egyptians Zamalek.

Vita beat Downs on away goals in April with a 2-2 aggregate scoreline in the second round‚ the penultimate round before the group stage.

But the team from DRC had fielded Idrissa Traore in the preliminary rounds when the player was still serving a four-match ban from when he was on the books of Stade Malien de Bamako of Mali.

“It was a really bad thing for my players. I was the first person as disappointed as my players‚ and after that the whole club‚” Ibenge said.

“Now we begin the new competition next year‚ and we want to do as well as this year. Because our objective is to win the Champions League. Because it’s a long time that Vita has not won this cup.

“We made a mistake when we took this player. A lot of mistakes have been made by a lot of people.

“Stade Malien were not fair. Really it’s not a good image for football and fair play‚ what Stade Malien did. It’s a disgrace for them.

“But maybe it’s good for us because now when we take a player we will check better so that kind of problem never comes again.”

Ibenge’s DRC were impressive 1-0 winners over Mozambique in the Cosafa Cup quarterfinals in Windhoek‚ Namibia on Sunday night.

The Central African guest team will be one of the favourites to win the competition‚ where Bafana Bafana have also reached the semis.