Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi praised Orlando Pirates for progressing to the group stages of the Caf Champions League, highlighting that this development enhances South Africa's chances of winning the prestigious tournament.
Pirates secured their spot with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Jwaneng Galaxy at Orlando Stadium, with Monnapule Saleng scoring a late goal to ensure their advancement.
Mngqithi’s congratulations followed Sundowns’ own commanding 4-0 win over Mbabane Swallows, sealing an 8-0 aggregate victory and their place in the group stages as well.
He emphasised that having both Sundowns and Pirates in the competition significantly boosts the prospects of a South African club winning the CAF Champions League this season.
Sundowns last won the comepetition in 2016, while Pirates were the first South African team to achieve this feat in 1996.
Mngqithi also noted the improvement for Pirates, as they were eliminated by Jwaneng Galaxy last season in the preliminary round, while Sundowns came close to reaching the final before being knocked out by Tunisia’s Esperance in the semi-final.
“I must congratulate Pirates first, it’s very good for a big team like Pirates to be in the group stages and South Africa to have two teams in the Caf Champions League group stages that’s big,” Mngqithi said.
“And that’s when you start to maximise the chances of a South African team winning the Champions League.
“And it will be nice if both teams (Pirates and Sundowns) also go through to the next round which is the quarterfinals because once we are there anything is possible.
“And it will be nice if we don’t win its and it’s won by Pirates. Or if Pirates doesn’t win it, we win it (Sundowns). Just like Zamalek, they have been doing it with Al Ahly for the longest of time in the Champions League.
“So, it will really be nice to get ourselves to that level where it’s not only the dominance of the North Africans but also in the SADC we are well represented and I’m very excited for Pirates to go through and very excited that our boys (Sundowns) made through to the group stages.”
Here’s the breakdown of the qualified teams:
Pot 1: Al Ahly (Egypt), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), TP Mazembe (DR Congo).
Pot 2: CR Belouizdad (Algeria), Raja Athletic Club (Morocco), Young Africans (Tanzania), Pyramids FC (Egypt).
Pot 3: Al Hilal (South Sudan), Orlando Pirates (South Africa), Sagrada Esperanca (Angola), AS FAR (Morocco).
Pot 4: MC Alger (Algeria), Djoliba (Mali), Maniema Union (DR Congo), Stade d’Abidjan (Ivory Coast).
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has congratulated Orlando Pirates for progressing to the group stages of the CAF Champions League.
— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) September 22, 2024
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