Pitso has reason to smile

Percy Tau celebrates his goal with with Pitso Mosimane, coach of Mamelodi Sundowns during the CAF Champions League match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Zamalek at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa on July 27, 2016 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Percy Tau celebrates his goal with with Pitso Mosimane, coach of Mamelodi Sundowns during the CAF Champions League match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Zamalek at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa on July 27, 2016 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Published Jul 30, 2016

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There was a touch of hoarseness in Pitso Mosimane’s voice as he spoke in what has been a memorable week for the Mamelodi Sundowns coach.

He turned 52 on Tuesday and guided the Brazilians to the semi-final of the CAF Champions League the following day with a 100 percent win record in their group.

What made this special is that they booked a place in the last four at the expense of the mighty Zamalek, whom they beat home and away.

Those victories saw the Brazilians cruise in a group where they looked likely to sink, having to face clubs that won the Champions League a combined nine times while Sundowns’ best showing was losing in the final in 2001.

It didn’t inspire much confidence that the Brazilians reached the group stage through the back door, after CAF kicked out AS Vita for fielding a suspended player.

After the defeat to Vita, Sundowns couldn’t even get past Ghana’s Medeama in the CAF Confederation Cup play-offs. It was a controversial match in which Mosimane feels they were hard done by - from the reception they received to the officiating.

“When it comes to the group stage, you get top CAF referees,” Mosimane said.

“There is TV. There are CAF officials. It becomes a different game. (That’s why we are a different team here).

“Don’t talk about Medeama. You know the story, no TV. In the preliminary rounds you just do whatever you can to move away from those games.

“We are lucky that next year we'll put ourselves in a situation where we have to play one game to qualify for the group stage. If we’re in the group, much better. This is proper football, in the group stage.”

The Brazilians are in the top four by virtue of playing proper football. They have outclassed all their opponents, be it ES Setif in Algeria, Enyimba in Pretoria and five-time African champions Zamalek.

Their three wins in three matches - the win over Setif was nullified when they were kicked out because of crowd violence - makes Sundowns statistically the best team in the group stage. They are the only side with a 100 percent record and the first to book a place in the last four.

“We are having fun,” Mosimane said. “Let’s leave the favourites tag to others. Next year we are going strong. We are on a learning curve this year.

“But this learning curve is a little bit sweet and it has a nice melody. We are listening to that melody and going with it.

“This is a nice dream we don’t want to wake up from. You don’t want to blow your own trumpet, but the guys in Egypt told me that you guys look like you can do something. I said, yeah, I also see there is something we can come up with”.

“The message is simple: They must respect South African teams.”

The Brazilians’ game against Enyimba next month will be a formality as Sundowns are guaranteed the top spot in their group. Their reward will be hosting the second leg of their semi-final tie against the side which finishes second in a group that has Wydad Casablanca, Zesco United, Al-Ahly and Asec Mimosas.

‘Jingles’ has a simple plea when that match comes to Lucas Moripe Stadium on the last weekend of September.

“We wish we can fill the stadium,” Mosimane said.

“That would be nice. But we still don’t understand international football in South Africa. It will come with time.” – Saturday Star

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