Johannesburg – Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rhulani Mokwena has hit back at Pitso Mosimane’s statement that nobody wants to face Al Ahly in the CAF Champions League knockout stages.
Both Al Ahly and Sundowns are through to the quarter-finals of Africa’s premier club competition, and Mosimane, following his team’s qualification, made the bold statement.
However, Mokwena said while he agrees with Mosimane’s sentiments, only Sundowns want to face the nine-time CAF Champions League winners in the knockout stages.
“Coach Pitso is right‚ who wants to play the defending champions except Mamelodi Sundowns?” asked Mokwena in Thursday’s press conference.
“We welcome that [statement that nobody wants to face Al Ahly] because that’s the competition.
“Once you get to the last eight and to the last four‚ you get to play anybody and you get to play against the best teams,” he said.
Then Mokwena hit Mosimane with the last punch saying if the astute coach was really honest to himself, he’d certainly admit that he doesn’t want to play Sundowns.
“But if coach Pitso is really honest‚ I don’t think he wants to play against Sundowns,” said Mokwena.
The last time Sundowns beat Al ahly in the CAF Champions League, Mosimane was still the head coach of the team, and he was the mastermind behind the 5-0 win over the Red Devils in April 2019.
Since then, Al Ahly have beaten Sundowns twice while the last match between the two African giants ended in a 1-1 draw.
