Mamelodi Sundowns shift their focus back to the CAF Champions League as they prepare to face CR Belouizdad at home this weekend. Bafana Ba Style are aiming to bag another victory for the 2nd Leg match in the quarterfinal against the Algerian side. Midfielder, Neo ‘Billy’ Maema previewed the highly anticipated weekend fixture.
Ahead of the clash, Neo Maema shared his insights on the upcoming game and the opposition. “It’s going to be a difficult encounter because CR Belouizdad is a good team. They wouldn’t have made it to the quarterfinals if they weren’t a great side. We are looking forward to the game and playing at home. We hope to come out with an impressive result.”
In the first leg encounter that took place in Algeria, the 2016 CAF Champions triumphed with a 4-1 win over the Great Chabab. This means that the Brazilians head into the 2nd leg encounter in possession of a 3-goal advantage and are a step closer to booking their seat in the semi-finals.
“When we played it Algeria, we knew it was us against the twenty-four thousand fans, but we stuck together. These are the types of games you look forward to as a football player to build your character and help you with consistency in the performances you deliver for the team”, said Maema as he expressed the significance of playing in the Champions League.
Billy mentioned that although they have the upper hand , the team is planning on erasing the result from the first leg and not let it cloud them. He supported his remark by noting how the team’s results in the past season took a drastic turn when they lost their home game after winning the away match.
Maema highlighted that because football doesn’t linger on the past results, they will go into their home game and take it on with a clean slate and he relayed a message to the supporters. “It’s going to be a new day and a new game. We are looking forward to it as a team and we will make sure that we do our end of the bargain. Our supporters are going to play a big part on Saturday and would like to encourage them to come in numbers.”
The Brazilians utility player additionally communicated that the Sundowns squad consists of top players that are determined to perform better in every match they play. He further mentioned that when one signs for Sundowns, home and away matches are equally important.
Mamelodi Sundowns will go head-to-head with CR Belouizdad on Saturday, 29 April 2023 at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium. The Champions League fixture will kick off at 15h00.
