Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena says their CAF Champions League quarter-finals clash against CR Belouizdad is going to be “very, very difficult.”
This will not be the first time the two sides clash as they were previously in the same CAFCL group in 2021. Sundowns will be confident of advancing after they beat Belouizdad 5-1 in Algiers, before losing 2-0 at home, but had already qualified for the knockout stages.
The winner between Masandawana and Belouizdad will face the winner between Wydad Athletic Club and Simba SC in the semi-final.
“It’s a draw that we accept with a lot of humility, but also a clear understanding that it’s going to be very, very difficult,” Mokwena told the club’s media team.
“Belouizdad are very good side, even though they finished second in their group with 10 points. But they’ve had a very good campaign.
“And both in the Champions League and in the domestic league, where they they sit number one, and even though they’ve played only 17 games, but the gap between number one and number two is maybe a little bit of a story that is similar to ours, where there’s a big gap of around 13 points between the two, the number one and number two.
“They’ve had they have very, very good players. They play also something very similar to a 4-3-3, 4-4-2 with a strong powerful Nigerian striker up front [Emmanuel] Iwuala and [Islem] Belkhir their top goal scorer on five goals.
“So interesting side with very good tactical formations and the structures.
“And something that we know that of course going to Algeria is going to be very, very difficult, particularly with the traveling and trying to map our way between the domestic fixtures.
“We have Nedbank Cup, just before we have to travel. A lot of work for our management team and the advance traveling party.
“But of course they’ve got a lot of experience and we trust them to assist us a lot with the preparation.”
Belouizdad will host the first leg in Algiers on the 24th of April, before the return fixture takes place at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on the 28th of April.
Written by: Diski Voice
