Manqoba Mngqithi dissects Mamelodi Sundowns CAFCL group

The Brazilians have been pitted against Moroccan sides Raja Casablanca and AS FAR, as well as AS Maniema Union from DR Congo.

Mngqithi has offered a breakdown of the overall competition at this phase. 

"There could not have been any better draw in this group stages because, if you look at it very closely, the only 'new' teams in the group stages are Maniema, maybe Stade d'Abidjan, and Sagrada [Esperanca] from Angola, who you could say are the 'dark horses'," said Mngqithi.

"Then you also have an MC Alger, which is a team that was a very strong team in Algeria before going down, and now they are back again and have recruited quite well.

"So, it makes it a very difficult competition at this stage for anyone because all the groups are very tough."

But the Sundowns mentor dismissed suggestions the current Premiership title holders are in the “toughest” group. 

"I hear people say our group is the toughest, but I look at the Al Ahly group – with [Orlando] Pirates, CR Belouizdad, and Stade d'Abidjan, and if you look at our group – AS FAR and Raja are the two teams that have been doing very well in Morocco," he defended.

"Then you go to the Esperance group, where they've got Pyramids, Sagrada, and there's that [Djoliba], which is a team that, honestly, I've never seen before, but I think it's a team from Mali, if I'm not mistaken.

"And, generally, all these groups present a difficulty for anyone, but be that as it may, if you want to win it, you want to play these kinds of matches."

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