FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo’s assistant coach, Yassine Salmi, has offered a fresh perspective on Mamelodi Sundowns after Saturday’s CAF Champions League group stage clash, asserting that the Tshwane giants are “50% Brazilian and 50% European.”
Sundowns outclassed Lupopo, securing a 3‑1 win on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. During their previous trip to South Africa, Lupopo shocked Orlando Pirates by knocking the Soweto powerhouse out of the second preliminary round of the Champions League.
They left the country with their heads held high; however, this time, they departed with tails between their legs, disappointment written all over their faces.
A brace from Nuno Santos and a second‑half strike by Marcelo Allende gave Sundowns all they needed to claim maximum points in their opening Group C match.
WHAT LUPOPO COACH YASSINE SALMI SAID ABOUT MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Ramos Kashala scored the DR Congo club’s consolation goal. As usual, Sundowns impressed with their display, prompting coach Salmi to describe their play as a combination of Brazilian and European flair.
Salmi highlighted the quality of Sundowns’ roster, saying, “Sundowns is about 50 % Brazilian and 50 % European.”
He added: “Yeah, like I said, Sundowns is a special club, you know. I’m from Belgium, and I see a lot of clubs and meet a lot of people there. I don’t see a difference between Sundowns and clubs in Europe.
“So what can I say about Sundowns? Sundowns is very difficult to play against. It’s about 50 % Brazilian and 50 % European. If all the clubs come to play against Sundowns, they have to pay attention to this because it’s a big club.”
Nevertheless, Salmi pointed out that his team’s lack of efficiency and cutting-edge capabilities were their Achilles’ heel.
“As I said, it’s just about efficiency; we missed some opportunities, but we have to work on it. It’s very difficult to get an equaliser against Sundowns. They have a bigger bench, so it’s very difficult for us to beat them.”
“In the second half, we said we needed to do something different. If we play the same way as the first half, the job is done. We’ll see how it goes in Lubumbashi.”
In addition, Sundowns have climbed to the top of their group, while Al Hilal—who beat Rulani Mokwena’s MC Alger—have slipped into second place in Group C.
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