Denis Onyango urges Mamelodi Sundowns to chase second star and make history a decade later

As Mamelodi Sundowns strive to add a second star above their crest, one of the three surviving squad members from the triumphant class of 2016 has urged the current crop of players to leave the jersey better than they found it.

Sundowns are chasing their second CAF Champions League title this season, a decade after winning their maiden crown under homegrown and legendary coach Pitso Mosimane.

Their pursuit of the title over the years has included heartbreak, most notably last season when they came agonisingly close, finishing as losing finalists to Pyramids, who were victorious at the first attempt.

One encouraging aspect of the current squad is that they do not need to seek motivation from outside, as they still have three surviving members - Denis Onyango, Thapelo Morena and Themba Zwane - from the team that conquered Africa.

Onyango, speaking during the team’s pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon ahead of their third group-stage match at home to Al Hilal on Friday night (8pm kick-off), encouraged his teammates to emulate what their class achieved 10 years ago and etch their names in the history books.

“We must always try to get results at home because away from home is always difficult,” Onyango said. “But for me, the message is to always fight for the badge and change it from the way it looks right now.

“We found it without a star and put a star there. Now we need another star. It’s for the boys to make history and to fight for the team.”

Onyango has also looked at past misfortunes, particularly last season, as a source of motivation that could propel them to glory, as they now better understand the demands of African football.

“I think we all know what we have to do,” Onyango said. “Last season, we were very close to winning the Champions League. I believe that this season we can do it because we’ve moved closer after being knocked out in the quarter-finals and semi-finals in previous years.

“We are getting there. The boys know the task ahead is difficult. We just need to keep fighting because African football is very tough. You can never know who is stronger because even the strongest team can lose. The mentality is to always keep winning.”

Meanwhile, Onyango’s coach, Miguel Cardoso, is under pressure to deliver the second star at the club, especially after being retained despite last season’s near miss and criticism from some supporters for not playing the club’s traditional style.

The Portuguese coach, however, remains unfazed by the criticism directed his way. While he agrees with Onyango that they must aim to win every match, he has urged calm and a step-by-step approach, starting from the group stage through to the final.

“The ambition of this club is to play every match to win,” Cardoso said. “When you have that ambition and do things well, you can go far.

“We know the level of this competition and how much we need to be at our best to win it. But let’s focus on tomorrow (Friday) and make it our best day. That will be a step forward.

“There will be three more matches after this one and a lot to fight for in the group stage. From there, the competition will unfold and we’ll see what lies ahead. For now, we are focused on tomorrow - it’s a big game where we’ll put all our energy.”