Mokwena cautious despite Sundowns’ big lead

Despite having one foot in the CAF Champions League semifinal, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena insists they are still focused on the quarterfinal return leg against CR Belouizdad at Loftus Versfeld Stadium tomorrow (3pm) as they eye another victory.

The Brazilians host the Algerian side with a healthy 4-1 lead from the first leg away last week, but Mokwena feels the job is not yet done and it is important they get a win tomorrow.

It will take something special from Belouizdad to overturn the results in Pretoria as they need to at least win 4-1 to force the match to penalties and it seems a bridge too far looking at how Sundowns performed in the first leg.

“Important game for us, a difficult match for us. I said after we played them that they are a very good side, a lot of internationals and will give us a lot of problems because I’m sure they will try to get the result,” Mokwena explained to the media yesterday.

“We have to give our best. We must have the right mentality and try to win the match.”

That the Algerian side are one of the two teams to have beaten Sundowns at home in the Champions League in the past few years is the main reason Mokwena is cautious heading to the match.

“It would be a difficult game, you don’t have to go far. Last season or two years ago, we played the very same club in the group stages and we beat them,” he said.

“Then they came to Pretoria and they beat us, so we know that they are a team that is difficult. And there are only two teams who have beaten us in the Champions League, they are one of the two.

“So, we must know that they can beat us, so we must be at our best. We have to know the quality they have...”

Should Sundowns progress to the semifinal, they will face a winner between Wydad Casablanca vs Simba SC.