Mamelodi Sundowns are back in African business.
Kabo Yellow open their CAF Champions League group-stage journey at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon, facing the tricky and notoriously crafty St-Eloi Lupopo at 15:00.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS’ PLAN TO MANAGE ST-ELOI LUPOPO
Group C will also feature Rulani Mokwena’s MC Alger and Sudanese giants Al-Hila. For Sundowns to reach the quarterfinals, they’ll need to finish top two.
After getting past Orlando Pirates with gamesmanship, time-wasting and shameful “dark arts”, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has confirmed a plan to focus on his players’ emotions: do not get dragged into the circus.
“We always try a big effort to make the players understand that any emotion that you may leave that is not proper to play a football match, it should be left in the locker room,” Cardoso told the media.
“You remember last year when we played at home against Esperance, there was a clash between players, and I was so aggressive taking the players from that mix of players.
“And whatever happens inside the pitch, we have to manage it emotionally in the right way with the players.”
“I always want to keep their minds focused on behaviours and some emotions that are negative. The Sundowns mentor added to say he doesn’t believe anything unusual will happen during the group stages, for him, it will be a football match and only a football match, and that’s exactly how he wants his players to approach it.”
AL-HILAL MOVE TOP
While Sundowns prepare for Lupopo’s tricks, the other side of Group C is already heated. On Friday night, Al-Hilal beat MC Alger 2-1 in Omdurman.