Bidvest Wits have the gameplan and the type of quick‚ small forwards to beat Al Ahly said Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane‚ praising too Wits’ cleverness playing their Caf Champions League second leg match in the day.
Gavin Hunt’s Wits managed a creditable 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Cairo against Al Ahly leaving them a fighting chance of coming home and winning the first round tie at Bidvest Stadium on Sunday (kickoff: 3.30pm).
Like African champions Sundowns‚ who meet Uganda’s KCCA in Kampala with a 2-1 lead on Saturday‚ Wits are chasing a place in the group stage‚ which victories this weekend would guarantee both clubs.
Mosimane – with his experience of winning last year’s competition‚ where they beat Ahly’s Cairo rivals Zamalek in the final – believes Wits have a style of play Egyptian teams will struggle against.
Downs’ coach said Wits had been clever playing the home leg in the day.
“That is smart. We did that against Zamalek [in the 2016 final first leg‚ in Atteridgeville]‚ you remember? Because all the games in Egypt are at night‚ so play during the day‚” Mosimane said.
“If in Kampala or wherever they play in the day‚ then play in the evening. You must use the advantage.
“So Wits are smart. And they did very well [in the first leg].
“When I look at Wits’ game‚ they have the right tempo‚ right breaks‚ quick players like Phakamani Mahlambi and Gabadinho Mhango.
“Play like that with the Arabs and they are always big at the back and so you can beat them. So Hunt has got it right – they can win.
“But they have to score.”
The new expanded group phase of the Champions League‚ and the addition of quarterfinals‚ mean there are less qualifying rounds (two) to the group stage in 2017 than when Downs won the competition last year (three).
Wits reached the first round with a 4-3 preliminary round victory against Saint-Louisienne of Reunion.
The Clever Boys and Downs would progress into a four-group round-robin phase with victories this weekend‚ as opposed to the two groups since the inception of the Champions League‚ replacing the Champions Cup‚ in 1997.
The top two teams progress to quarter-finals‚ rather than the previous progression straight to the semis.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
Mosimane says Wits have the cleverness and quick runners to beat Al Ahly
Bidvest Wits have the gameplan and the type of quick‚ small forwards to beat Al Ahly said Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane‚ praising too Wits’ cleverness playing their Caf Champions League second leg match in the day.
Gavin Hunt’s Wits managed a creditable 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Cairo against Al Ahly leaving them a fighting chance of coming home and winning the first round tie at Bidvest Stadium on Sunday (kickoff: 3.30pm).
Like African champions Sundowns‚ who meet Uganda’s KCCA in Kampala with a 2-1 lead on Saturday‚ Wits are chasing a place in the group stage‚ which victories this weekend would guarantee both clubs.
Mosimane – with his experience of winning last year’s competition‚ where they beat Ahly’s Cairo rivals Zamalek in the final – believes Wits have a style of play Egyptian teams will struggle against.
Downs’ coach said Wits had been clever playing the home leg in the day.
“That is smart. We did that against Zamalek [in the 2016 final first leg‚ in Atteridgeville]‚ you remember? Because all the games in Egypt are at night‚ so play during the day‚” Mosimane said.
“If in Kampala or wherever they play in the day‚ then play in the evening. You must use the advantage.
“So Wits are smart. And they did very well [in the first leg].
“When I look at Wits’ game‚ they have the right tempo‚ right breaks‚ quick players like Phakamani Mahlambi and Gabadinho Mhango.
“Play like that with the Arabs and they are always big at the back and so you can beat them. So Hunt has got it right – they can win.
“But they have to score.”
The new expanded group phase of the Champions League‚ and the addition of quarterfinals‚ mean there are less qualifying rounds (two) to the group stage in 2017 than when Downs won the competition last year (three).
Wits reached the first round with a 4-3 preliminary round victory against Saint-Louisienne of Reunion.
The Clever Boys and Downs would progress into a four-group round-robin phase with victories this weekend‚ as opposed to the two groups since the inception of the Champions League‚ replacing the Champions Cup‚ in 1997.
The top two teams progress to quarter-finals‚ rather than the previous progression straight to the semis.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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