How Mamelodi Sundowns plan to break Champions League curse

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has revealed one element his team must improve on to produce better performances in CAF Champions League and break the quarterfinals elimination curse.

In the past seasons, Sundowns, who are the 2016 African champions have failed to impress in the competition. In the last two seasons, they’ve been have been knocked out in the last eight.

The Tshwane giants were eliminated by Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Angola’s Petro de Luanda respectively in the quarterfinals stage.

WHAT SUNDOWNS NEEDS TO IMPROVE

According to Mokwena, his charges must improve their defending when they are playing away from home. Sundowns concede many goals when they are on the road.

“You generate your luck, you have to work hard and try to do it better away from home. One of the consistent features of being knocked out in the quarterfinals is we concede goals away from home,” Mokwena told the media.

“That becomes something that plays to our disadvantage, we got to try to work a little bit harder.

“That’s why I was happy with the performance at Orlando Stadium. As hostile as the crowd was, with a lot of tension in the stadium and as aggressive as the opposition was, we were able to defend very well and we got a clean sheet.”

SUNDOWNS’ CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE STRATEGY

Mokwena further revealed that conceding less goals away from home in the Champions League will be their strategy this season. The aim to improve the performance from the past seasons.

“That’s the type of profile we going to need at certain times where we’re a team that must suffer together and assist each other to be able to grind results even in difficult matches,” he added.

“We’ve shown that we have that mentality and we have the potential. That’s something we have to bank on this season in the champions league.

Masandawana open their group stage campaign on Saturday, 11 February as they host Al-Hilal of Sudan.

Kickoff at Loftus Versfeld Stadium is at 3pm.

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