Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena says his side is revved-up for the Young Africans, when the two sides collide in the first leg of their Caf Champions League quarterfinal clash on Saturday night.
The day has finally come, where Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, in Dar es Salaam, will be painted yellow all round in the traditional colours of the two African giants.
Kick-off time is at 8pm.
Looking to continue winning streak
ck up from where they left off in the Champions League, where they won three games in a row and ultimately topped their group.
Yanga, on the other hand, will be on a mission to return to winning ways at the expense of Masandawana after losing their last game in the group stages.
Mokwena said the game against Yanga will be a test for them to analyse their level as far as continental football is concerned. He was speaking to the media on Friday. This in a press conference ahead of the much-anticipated encounter.
“We are ready, we are Mamelodi Sundowns,” Mokwena said.
“And the more difficult it is for us the better because then it’s a good test for us to see what level we are at. Are we really at the level that we perceive ourselves to be?
“Let’s see tomorrow because the game is always played on the pitch, and we look forward to the encounter.
“We are excited to be here. Excited to play in a full stadium that’s going to be branded with a lot of yellow.
Favourites to win the game
“It can easily be Sundown’s yellow, and we are looking forward to that.”
It goes without saying that Sundowns go into the game with more experience and favourites to win the game. They recently won the lucrative African Football League (AFL). Also went as far as the semi-finals in the Champions League last season.
However, Mokwena insisted that they can’t afford to be complacent and should respect their opponents.
“In football, you are only as good as your last performance and if we rest too much on our laurels. We expect the experience to play, we’ll be in big trouble,” he added.
“And so, we must go into the game and rely on our qualities and play football. And also understand how difficult it’s going to be. But also trust in our abilities.”
