Why Teko Modise is confident Sundowns can reach Champions League final
Bafana Bafana legend Teko Modise has outlined why he believes his former club, Mamelodi Sundowns, can reach the final of the CAF Champions League this season under Manqoba Mngqithi.
Season after season, Sundowns have been competing in the Champions League against some of the top teams on the African continent.
Masandawana has often been considered favourites to win the club continent title, but they have consistently fallen short of reaching the final. In the last two seasons, the Tshwane giants were eliminated in the semi-finals by Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca and the Tunisian powerhouse Esperance, respectively.
Sundowns’ only victory in the African Champions League came in 2016 when they were coached by Pitso Mosimane, who is now with Esteghlal FC. This was the first and only time the Tshwane giants made it to the final.
In the current season, Sundowns have advanced to the group stage, where they are competing in Group B alongside AS Maniema Union from Congo and Moroccan teams AS FAR and Raja Casablanca. In their group opener, they played to a 0-0 draw against Maniema. Their next match is against AS FAR on Saturday, December 7, with kick-off scheduled for 9 PM at Stade El Abdi.
TEKO MODISE BACKS MAMELODI SUNDOWNS FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
“The General” believes Sundowns’ squad depth, which includes 10 Bafana Bafana players who recently won the bronze medal at the 2023 AFCON, gives them a strong chance of reaching the Champions League final.
Players like Ronwen Williams, Mothobi Mvala, Khuliso Mudau, Teboho Mokoena, Thapelo Morena, Grant Kekana, Aubrey Modiba and Themba Zwane played a big part in Bafana’s AFCON success. They were regular players in the starting line-up. Thapelo Maseko and Terrence Mashego were also part of the national team in Ivory Coast.
“If we can have 10 players go to AFCON finals [with Bafana Bafana] and became third on the continent, we have to go all the way to the final of the Champions League, to be honest. I’m not putting pressure; it’s a fact,” said Modise on the PitchsidePodcast.
“I think we have a group of players that still needs to earn those rights to go to the final. I believe they do have better quality than we had [Modise’s generation at Sundowns].
“Even the challenges are better than we had, we were learning like travelling-wise. Like one time in Ethiopia [airport], we spent eight hours, but now they know the easy routes to get there early.”
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