Dlamini – Sundowns Are The Best Team In Africa

AmaZulu interim coach Ayanda Dlamini says he admires the space Mamelodi Sundowns are in, as they host the 2022/23 league champions at the Princess Magogo Stadium later today (19:30).   

Sundowns, having won the league with seven games to spare, a new record in the PSL era, are also through to the CAF Champions League semi-final for the first time since 2019, and they will face defending champions – Wydad Casablanca in the two-legged tie.

They were untouchable in the quarter-final stages, trouncing CR Belouizdad of Algeria by 6-2 on aggregate score line, and Dlamini says he admires how serious they take every game.   

“You might say Sundowns has won the league and everything, but this is one of the most professional teams in the league,” said Dlamini.

“They take every game seriously. It’s not going to be easy now they have won the league, no, no. They are still in the Champions League, but they take every game very seriously.

“For us, it is a cup final because we have to go there and be prepared that we are playing against the best team in the league and probably the best team in Africa right now.

“It is why I admire them a lot – I respect the team, the culture that they go for everything.”

While Dlamini was waxing lyrical about Sundowns’ success, throughout the PSL era, Usuthu have also struggled to beat Sundowns in Durban, with only one win against them.

That came as recently in December 2021 when Augustine Mulenga beat the offside trap before scoring that winning goal at Kings Park Stadium. It ended a 17-game unbeaten streak for Sundowns.   

Before that, the last time Usuthu beat Sundowns in a league match in Durban was when Tshepo Ntsoane scored in 1993, a year later after South Africa was fully-fledged democracy.  

Meanwhile, Dlamini confirmed that goalkeeper Jody February, who is on loan from Sundowns, will face his parent club.

“As far as I know, Jody will play,” said Dlamini.

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“If there is something that I don’t know, then you will hear it somewhere. But my answer to you is that he’s allowed to play against his parent club.”

Often when Sundowns loan a player they are putting in a clause in the agreement that he can’t face them. It was the case with SuperSport United as their three players Thabang Sibanyoni, Grant Magerman and Ricardo Goss were all not allowed to play against Sundowns in three matches this season.