Young Africans attacking midfielder, Mahlatsi Makudubela says the club has done its “homework” on their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League opponents, Mamelodi Sundowns as the two sides prepare to clash in the second leg of the Quarter-Finals on Friday, 05 April in Pretoria.
“Skudu” as the South African attacker is affectionately known was speaking from the Loftus Stadium on Thursday afternoon ahead of the big showdown that was preceded by a highly entertaining but tactical 0-0 stalemate in Dar Es Salaam last Friday.
In Sundowns, Makudubela comes up against a side that he featured for in the reserve side and says he alongside his coach Miguel Gamondi, who was assistant coach at the club in their 2005/06 season league title triumph have a better understanding of their opponents that they can use to their advantage.
“I think there is a lot that I can share with my colleagues. I have done that before but with the coach having coached the team before, he knows the Sundowns culture. Mamelodi Sundowns culture has never changed, it has been the same and credit to the technical team who have done the analysis of the team. We are quite aware of what we can do, and we have done our homework” said a confident Makudubela.
Continental football is certainly not new to the skilful forward who was part of the Marumo Gallants (South Africa) team that went all the way to the semi-finals of last season’s TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup before being scouted by the Tanzanian giants.
“I am going to make South Africans very proud by winning with a Tanzanian team”, joked Makudubela as he concluded.
Meanwhile, another Tanzanian giant in Simba AC has a huge task ahead of them on Friday as they aim to overturn a narrow 1-0 first leg defeat to reigning champions, Al Ahly in Cairo.
Simba suffered the narrow defeat after doing well to dominate the defending champions but failed to find the back of the net.
