With the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title already in the bag and an Absa Cup semifinal berth indicating bright prospects of a PSL ”double”, Mamelodi Sundowns left South Africa for their most imposing and difficult challenge of all against Egypt’s Al-Ahly in the CAF second-leg Champions League clash buoyed by some striking away victories in major European competitions of late.
”Going to Egypt to play a team of the calibre of Al-Ahly after the 2-2 draw in the first leg in Pretoria,” said Sundowns’ Venezuelan international striker, Jose Torrealba, on the Brazilians’ website, ”is being described by many as mission impossible.
”But we need to take a leaf out of the books of Chelsea and AC Milan who were held to draws by Valencia and Bayern Munich in the European Cup semifinals at home and were supposedly doomed to certain defeat in the second-leg away games in Spain in Germany.
”What happened instead is that Chelsea and AC Milan showed great character in outplaying their opponents in front of their own supporters and going through to the Uefa Champions League semifinals.”
Torrealba said it is this kind of sterling performance in the face of adversity that Sundowns will need in front of what is expected to be a baying, 70 000-plus crowd consisting almost entirely of Al-Ahly supporters in Cairo’s National Stadium on Friday.
But the challenge will not be easy — particularly as Sundowns will be without key Zimbabwean international midfielder Ezrom Nyandoro, who is suspended.
The first leg, however, suggested that as far as raw individual skill is concerned, Sundowns are quite capable of matching their Egyptian opponents anywhere. Whether they can muster an equal degree of grit under pressure is altogether another matter. — Sapa