Mamelodi Sundowns may have already qualified for the CAF Champions League knockout stages with a match to spare and guaranteed Group A winners, but co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi insists they won’t treat their last match against Al-Merrikh  as a dead rubber.

Sundowns will host the Sudanese at FNB Stadium tomorrow (5pm) and Mngqithi said this match remains important as they look to better their last year's points tally of 13 in the group phase.

Last season, the Brazilians won the group with 13 points and the coach wants to end with 16 this time and also to take the winning momentum to the knockout phase.

“It does not really mean much the fact that we have already secured a place in the quarterfinal, as I said before, our biggest competition is ourselves,” Mngqithi told the media yesterday.

“We have a bigger responsibility to improve and better our 13 points we got last year in the group stages.

“We also need to try and minimise the stress of losing a match, so we will give this game the respect it requires and we will go out there with the mentality to win because that’s important on how we want to finish the season.

“In the last two years, we have only lost three matches and we need to minimise the spirit of losing.”

The 50-year-old also urged the club supporters to come in numbers at FNB Stadium to support the team and not take this game as a dead rubber.

“We don’t treat it as a dead rubber. Al-Merrikh are one of the best teams in Sudan,” he said.

“And they are a team that won three championships and we would love to play this match with our supporters and see how the team responds."

Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates will also look to conclude their Confederation Cup group matches on a high note when they host Al-Ittihad at Orlando Stadium on Sunday 6pm.

A draw will be enough to guarantee the Buccaneers top finish in Group B as they are currently sitting with 12 points, while Ittihad from Libya are second with 10.