Mamelodi Sundowns attacking midfielder Marcelo Allende has weighed in on the standard of the CAF Champions League.
The rising Chile star joined Masandawana on a five-year deal in July 2022 from Montevideo City Torque in Uruguay.
In the current Champions League campaign, Allende has featured in seven games for Rulani Mokwena‘s side. He has contributed a goal in the process.
And the 23-year-old footballer seems to be enjoying himself. The pint-sized midfielder is determined to help Bafana Ba Style to reach the promised land.
They booked a quarter-final berth as winners of Group B after they beat visiting Coton Sport 2-1 on Saturday. It was the final group stages encounter for the Brazilians.
Egyptian giants Al Ahly finished second in Group B after a 4-0 win over Al Hilal of Sudan.
MARCELO ALLENDE VIEWS ON CHAMPIONS LEAGUE STANDARD
“Actually, to be honest, surprisingly, the level is a bit high and very competitive. I didn’t expect it to be at this level in terms of competition in CAF,” said Allende. The Chilean captained Sundowns against the Cameroonians, with Themba Zwane rested while Teboho Mokoena was out serving suspension.
“[We have been] travelling to countries you have never thought you would. [We’ve been] eating different foods we are not exposed to, weather conditions we have to adapt to. [We’ve played] on different types of pitches that are different from what we are used to. So, those are the challenges have to face.
“And the external factors that also affect the game at large. We all know we were drawn in a group that has tough opponents. We had to win those games with Al Ahly being the toughest team.”
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