Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rulani Mokwena reacts on CAF Champions League draw where Masandawana were paired with Angolan side Petro de Luanda.
The DStv Premiership champions will be travelling to Angola for their first leg encounter after topping Group A with a record of 16 points while Luanda finished as runners-up in Group D behind Wydad Casablanca.
“Look we accept that we could have faced any other strong side. Petro de Luanda are a very strong side with good Champions League experience,” Rulani Mokwena told Downs’ media team.
“They’ve been now in the Champions League for three years in a row, although the last two times they could not qualify out of the group, so it’s their first time into the quarter-finals.
“What we’ve seen already this season is that they are a very capable team, they’ve scored nine goals in this year’s group-stage fixtures, they’ve conceded eight and although that eight seems like a huge number but there was that dead rubber sort of match against Wydad when they conceded five.
“To accumulate 11 points in a very difficult season this season in the group stages, which was a very difficult group for them means that they are a very good team.”
Mokwena, who always seems to have done his homework already, also gave more insight of their Angolan opponents.
“They already also sit on top of the log in Angola, they are number one currently and also reigning cup champions,” he added.
“So a every good side. A team that has in the domestic league 54 points from 21 games, so we meet a very, very good team with very, very good players.
“We already know a little bit about them, we’ve seen Tiago [Azulao], the number 26, the striker, he’s the CAF Champions League leading goal scorer for them on four goals.
“Jaredi [Teixeira], number 29, also a dribbling winger with the highest number of assists in three. But everything goes through [William] Soares, the defensive midfielder, the number 5 in midfield. Really one that dictates the terms, pull the strings and influences the dynamics of the team.
“So we’ve got a little bit of intel but of course there’s still bit of work to be done prior to getting there. We still got some very important matches in the domestic league and an important cup game prior to having to focus on Petro.”
First leg of CAF Champions Leagues is set to be played between the 15-17 April and the Second leg will be played on the 22-24 April 2022.
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