Sundowns star: ‘We need to score goals and win the game’
Betway Premiership giants Mamelodi Sundowns are on the brink of a CAF Champions League quarterfinal place. AS FAR are standing in the way.
Mamelodi Sundowns are 90 minutes away from qualifying for the CAF Champions League quarterfinals.
CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: MAMELODI SUNDOWNS VS AS FAR
With three points ahead of Raja Casablanca, who are in third place, Kabo Yellow needs just one point against AS FAR at the Loftus Versfeld at 18:00 tonight. According to the DStv Guide, the match will be live on SABC 1 from 17:30 and SuperSport’s 209.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners knows what to expect from Rabat.
“They will come with a lot of confidence, they will fight and make it difficult for us, but we just have to be patient and be ourselves, that will make us win the game,” Rayners said via Sowetan.
“I think they will sit back, obviously, because they want to finish first in the group but for us to finish top, we need to push ourselves, score goals and win the game, that’s the spirit,” the Sundowns top scorer concluded.
Meanwhile, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has revealed that his senior players will make the difference.
“Your question makes me speak about experienced players, and as a coach, it is clear that we depend on those players,” he said via Sowetan after he was asked how the team will avoid defeat.
“Our job is to try to give them the tools to be able to perform in the best possible way and face different moments that games and competitions will bring. We want to arrive in these decisive moments with the mentality where we are able to face the difficulties and make games as easy as they can. Naturally players who have more experience, more quality and a better way to emotionally face games, appear in the right moments. You just need to create the right mindset and emotions so that it comes naturally.”
“What I felt last week was the team was committed with spirit that was needed to face adversities of that game because it was harder than it was supposed to be. It was going to be better if we got the first goal but didn’t get it.
“As a result we suffered and we had to come right on a pitch that was dry and slow and against a physical opponent. We managed to overcome those difficulties and now it is another page of the same book and we need to write a story on it.
“I also believe younger players have contributed to the team. We trust everyone but the important thing is we know what do to as a team. In the right moment players will appear and Peter (Shalulile) came through for us in the last game.
“Before him it was Iqraam (Rayners) who made decisive goals and Lucas Ribeiro has also made some decisive goals and many other players have contributed for us. We trust everyone and what is important is how we play and face each moment and focus on what we want at the end of the match because these matches are played until the last minute,” the Sundowns mentor concluded.
CAN THIS TEAM WIN THE CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE THIS SEASON?
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