Mamelodi Sundowns are looking to come out victorious in Algeria against CR Belouizdad for their CAF Champions League Leg 1 of 2 clash. The Brazilians will take on the Algerian side on Saturday, 22 April 2022 at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algeria. Head Coach, Rulani Mokwena previewed the Saturday evening continental competition fixture.
Ahead of the game, Coach Rulani shared his insights on the opposition and said, “CR Belouizdad is a good team, and you can see with their domestic form. They have good competitive experience not just in the Champions League but in the Algerian national League as well. Their keeper is experienced, and they also have experienced center backs.”
The Masandawana Coach mentioned that the Algerian side has good players in Mokhtar Belkhither and Youcef Laouafi. He added that these players carry great experience because they play for the national team and participated in the AFCON. With Sundowns also comprising of players with extensive experience in continental and international competitions, the 1st leg of the quarterfinal is expected to be challenging for both teams.
Bafana Ba Style played against CR Belouizdad in the 2021 CAF Champions League group stages. Coach Mokwena mentioned playing against North African teams has always been difficult and they know that the game will be difficult.
“We know that we lost the previous encounter in Pretoria against Belouizdad, so we are under no illusions how difficult this is. But we are a very good team, with good players who are honest and give their best. This is why I have good feelings towards my team. We know we have to play very well to give ourselves a chance to win the match”, said Coach Mokwena confidently speaking on the team’s eagerness to win the game.
Having played with the opposition before , the Brazilian Coach communicated that there are differences since their last meet up with the Algerian side. He mentioned the big differences are the fact that they played in Tanzania last time and that there has been an evolution in the opposition’s style of play and tactics.
Coach Mokwena concluded and said, “We know that we have to do a very good job.”. He further stated that the team will have to be good on both sides of the box, and positively affirmed that the Sundowns squad will perform at their best during the game.
