They might have failed to net what is the biggest fish of all among the soccer titles on the continent, but Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions Mamelodi Sundowns are still hoping to haul in what would be a notable treble from Africa’s teeming soccer pool this year.
”There is no concealing the fact that losing to Al-Ahly in CAF’s Champions League was a huge disappointment,” conceded Sundowns coach Gordon Igesund on Monday, ”because it is not only the richest and most prestigious competition on the African continent, but it also affords the winners the opportunity of participating in the World Club Championship.
”But be that as it may, the teams who are beaten in the last-16 stage of the Champions League automatically earn a place in CAF’s Confederation Cup — and winning this competition would certainly take us a giant leap up the ladder of Africa’s top-ranked teams.”
However, before the Brazilians face Tunisia’s Sportif de Gafsa in a first-leg Confederation Cup game at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday, there is the matter of an Absa Cup semifinal against rising Silver Stars at Olen Park in Potchefstroom on Wednesday night.
”We have been faced with two excruciatingly difficult games almost every week over the past couple of months,” said the Sundowns coach, ”and that is one reason why I took the decision to rest many of the players immediately after we clinched the PSL title.
”I also needed to test the club’s reserve talent,” added Igesund, ”to gauge who we will be retaining next season — with many of the back-up players sitting on the bench and not getting any action while we went 18 games undefeated.
”And I have no regrets over my decision,” said the Sundowns coach, ”even if we ended up losing games against Silver Stars and Ajax Cape Town in the process.”
He said he will be fielding the strongest available combination against both Silver Stars and Sportif Gafsa.
”From what I’ve heard about the Tunisians,” said Igesund, ”the two teams we will be facing are not unlike — even though Gafsa have slipped to 10th place in the Tunisian League this season — with both relentless runners for 90 minutes and giving nothing away.
”But we’ll take one game at a time, with the games against Silver Stars and the Tunisians equally important as we strive for treble success.”
The only current first-choice player who is a doubtful starter for Olen Park is striker Jose Torrealba, who received ”what we hope was only a minor injury” in the weekend game against Ajax.
”I substituted Torrealba immediately in order not to aggravate the injury,” said Igesund, ”and hopefully he will be able to take his place in the starting line-up on Wednesday.” — Sapa