KAMPALA, Uganda – Mamelodi Sundowns striker Anthony Laffor says losing Saturday's CAF Champions League match against Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and failing to advance to the group stages of the competition was not an option for his side.
Sundowns went into the match having won the first leg 2-1 in Atteridgeville the previous week, but the defending champions soon found themselves down a goal at the Philip Omondi Stadium in Kampala on Saturday.
With the scores locked at 2-2 on aggregate and Sundowns at risk of losing the tie on the away goals rule, Laffor was brought on in the second half and scored to hand the Brazilians a 3-2 aggregate win.
“Scoring that goal was not about me. It was all about the team. We fought as a team, and won as a team,” Laffor said.
“We knew it was going to be tough, particularly after they scored. But being African Champions and failing to progress was not an option for us. We fought and looked for that one chance, and we scored.
“The other guys like (Yannick) Zakri, Percy (Tau) and Mshishi (Themba Zwane) were playing well and scoring was inevitable. We just needed to keep our composure. In the end we got what we wanted.”
The lanky Liberian had buckets of praise for Tau, who was recently called up to the Bafana Bafana squad to face Guinea-Bissau and Angola.
“Before the game I told him that he will score, but if he does not, he should not get frustrated. As a young South African Percy has shown amazing character. He has shown hunger to do well, and he’s only 19 or 20, but he works hard for the team. I take my hat off for him and only hope he stays humble,” Laffor said.
Tau also had praise for Laffor.
“He is a big player. Big players play well in big games, seize the moment and score,” Tau said of his team-mate. “We fought hard as a team, and we knew that if we played our football we will score. We knew we would get at least one.
"We are, after all African champions, and just needed to believe in ourselves. When they scored, we knew it was going to be even harder, but we kept to our game plan, played football, and the goal came.”
Tau added that he was inspired by the shouts of “Percy” from local fans as they took the field. “When Ugandan fans shouted my name I felt humbled,” he said.