Marcelo Allende of Mamelodi Sundowns and head coach Manqoba Mngqithi addressing the media ahead of the CAF Champions League match. BackpagePix
On Saturday, unheralded Magesi FC piled on the misery for beleaguered Mamelodi Sundowns by defeating them in the Carling Knockout final in Bloemfontein.
This defeat was the latest of slim pickings for the Sundowns who boast one of the most expensive teams on the African continent.
In August, Sundowns suffered back-to-back defeats against Stellenbosch without scoring a goal in the MTN8 semi-finals.
Last month there was more misery when they suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Polokwane City.
These reverses would not have gone well with the club’s hierarchy and the glum faces of the Sundowns bigwigs when the television cameras panned on the Masandawana suite.
Tonight, Sundowns can erase those memories when they become the first South African club to play in this season’s group phase of the CAF Champions League competition. They host DRC visitors AS Maniema Union in a Group B clash at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria (starting at 6pm).
After Saturday's Carling Cup final, Sundowns don't have much turnaround time but are very well prepared for the heavy schedule ahead by assembling one of the biggest club squads in Africa.
Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi insists they are headed in the right direction as he turns his attention to AS Maniema Union in the CAF Champions League on Tuesday.
Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi remains undaunted by the spate of setbacks and feels it is all part and parcel of managing a top-class outfit,
“If you choose to become a coach, you must expect that in this space our jobs are always under scrutiny every week because we have to deliver,” said Mngqithi.
“It’s unlike a company's CEO who at the end of the financial year has to deliver a report. With us football coaches, it is always going to be ‘where are we going? Are we going in the right or wrong direction?’
“I am still optimistic that we are going in the right direction.”
Maniema are flying high in the DR Congo’ Vodacom Ligue 1 after going undefeated in their opening seven fixtures to open a four-point lead at the top of the table with two games in hand on Dauphins Noirs.
“The Green and Blacks”, as Maniema is known, edged Celeste 1-0 on November 20 to make it four straight wins in the DR Congolese top flight after dropping their first points in back-to-back draws with Aigles du Congo (0-0) and Motema Pembe (1-1) in October.
Maniema coached by Guy Lusadisu, are making their debut in the CAF Champions League proper, having overcome Ngezi Platinum on penalties in the preliminary first round before seeing off Petro de Luanda 2-1 on aggregate in the second round.
Sundowns will be relying heavily on their Brazilian playmaker Lucas Ribeiro who has been one of Downs' standout players in the early part of the season.
He has been pivotal in their run to the Carling Knockout final after registering one goal and three assists in four appearances.
The Brazilian's four goals and two assists in the league have also seen the defending champions stay in touch with Orlando Pirates at the top of the league table.
Pirates are also in action tonight (starting at 9pm) against CR Belouizdad in a CAF Champions League Group C match in Algeria.
Pirates will be up against former CT City striker Khanyisa Mayo who will lead the Belouizdad attack.