Tout Puissant Mazembe‚ more popularly known as TP Mazembe‚ remain every bit the threat that South Africans have come to know them as despite losing players to Europe recently‚ says Mamelodi Sundowns’ coach Pitso Mosimane.

Downs meet the feared Mazembe in Saturday’s 2017 Caf Super Cup at Loftus Versfeld at 7pm.

As winners of the more prestigious 2016 Caf Champions League Sundowns have home ground advantage over the Caf Confederation Cup champions.

Mazembe last week lost a fourth star to Europe when they loaned Ivory Coast international forward Roger Assale to Young Boys Berne in Switzerland.

This followed the loans of defender Christian Luyindama‚ midfielder Merveille Bokadi and striker Jonathan Bolingi to Standard Liege in Belgium.

Mazembe also saw coach Hubert Velud depart the club in late December. A new coach‚ French compatriot Thierry Folger‚ was appointed this week‚ but will only take the reigns from current caretakers‚ assistants David Mwakasu and Pamphile Mihayo‚ next week.

Despite the upheaval‚ Mosimane does expects a tough game from the Champions League winners of 1967‚ 1968‚ 2009‚ 2010 and 2015‚ Club World Cup finalists of 2010 and Super Cup winners of 2010‚ 2011 and 2016.

“I respect Mazembe. I think they’ve got the same or maybe even a better attack‚ as Sundowns. They have quality‚ quality‚” Mosimane said.

“Obviously they have made business in Europe by allowing some players to go there. But you don’t give your players for free in Europe‚ so it’s business that you made.

“We have also lost Keagan Dolly [to Montpellier in France].

“It’s bragging rights also‚ you must know that‚ not just about history and all that. Mazembe know that they are still good.

“We played them here and beat them [in the 2015 Champions League]‚ went there and they beat us but the score eliminated us.”

Danger men for the Lubumbashi-based Democratic Republic of Congo club include Ghanaian forwards Solomon Asante and Daniel Adjei‚ Malian forward Adama Traore and Zambian midfielder Nathan Sinkala.

Star player Rainford Kalaba is the deadly Zambian playmaker who was a finalist along with the Downs pair of Khama Billiat and winner Denis Onyango for Caf’s 2016 local-based player award

Mazembe have had some epic clashes with South African clubs.

Notably Orlando Pirates beat them 1-0 in Lubumbashi thanks to the heroics of late goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa‚ who saved two penalties‚ for a 3-2 aggregate victory on the path to the 2013 Champions League (ACL) final.

Sundowns beat Mazembe 1-0 at home‚ but lost 3-1 away as TP became the 2015 ACL champions.

Downs will try to utilise home advantage to their favour on Saturday.

“It’s an advantage that we earned. You only earn this advantage by winning the Champions League‚ ” Mosimane said.

“But it’s home advantage. There are no excuses — it’s on out pitch and they are coming here. So try and win the match.”

-TMG Digital