Johannesburg - Mamelodi Sundowns have been around the block long enough to endure the difficulties that come with playing continental football.
That they had a heavy travelling schedule and will play Al-Merrikh at a neutral venue will not deter them.
The Brazilians have qualified for the African Champions League for the last eight seasons, having won the local league on six occasions and finished as runners-up twice. They’ve been so good that they also conquered the continent back in 2016.
On Monday, fresh from their gruelling 1-1 draw with Baroka in a SA Premiership match away from home, they had to travel from Polokwane immediately after the match to Johannesburg by bus as they were rushing to catch an early flight to Ethiopia.
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They took six hours to get to Ethiopia before boarding a four-hour connecting flight to Cairo where they’ll meet Al-Merrikh at a neutral Al-Saalam Stadium on Friday for their second encounter in the group stage of the Champions League.
Sundowns co-coach Rulani Mokwena, who was part the technical team that won the African crown six years ago, says they have weathered most of the adversities that they’ve come across so they should be ready for the encounter.
“It’s difficult but we have to soldier on. Our players have got a lot of experience in dealing with these types of conditions. Everything has been going well also. We are in a good space and looking forward to a very interesting match,” he said.
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Mokwena knows that the league and group stage of the Champions League are a different kettle of fish. And with the former a marathon that’s played over 30 matches they can afford to make mistakes, while they can’t in continental football.
But that they’ll play the Sudanese-based outfit at the neutral Al-Saalam due to political unrest in Sudan doesn’t put Sundowns, or the hosts on the backfoot. They are both regulars in the competition that know all about the difficulties it entails.
“Not necessarily. The two teams are experienced in this space. Sundowns and Al-Merrikh are consistent participants in the group stage. Of course, targets and ambitions do not change for us whether we are home or away,” Mokwena said.
“What’s important is the clear understanding of bringing our best performance on match-day. And once we can bring our best performance, we know that we'll be able to deal with a lot of things that will come our way on the field of play.”
The Brazilians touched down safely in Cairo, Egypt in the early hours of this morning! 🇪![CDATA[]]>🇬![CDATA[]]>🛬#Sundowns #TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/fJGPY20JbR
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) February 16, 2022
After a hard-fought 1-0 win over another Sudanese side Al Hilal at home at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in the group stage opener, Sundowns’ defender Rushine De Reuck knows that they’ll face an equally physical battle against Al-Merrikh.
“I’m expecting a very physical game, quite similar to the Al-Hilal game. We have to be ready as a team and fight for everything. We know that we can hurt them if we use the ball well and take our chances,” Rushine told the Sundowns' website.
“I feel that the Champions League is a lot more structured and teams are a little bit more clinical. The game seems a bit easier, but an easy game on the eye can be very dangerous. So, we have to stay switched on throughout the match.”
Churning out a clinical performance and walking away with the full points will serve as a huge booster for the Brazilians who’ll remain in Cairo for an extra week ahead of their away match to champions Al Ahly, who are coached by Pitso Mosimane.