The old saying that “lightning never strikes the same place twice” is a myth that coach Pitso Mosimane believes his Mamelodi Sundowns charges can defy when they meet Zamalek in the Caf Champions Final at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
The Brazilians have beaten the White Knights twice already in the tournament’s group stages, firstly 2-1 in Cairo and with a 1-0 win in Pretoria back in July. However, coach Mosimane is wary this could come back to bite them.
“The best thing is to try and win here, not go to Cairo to try and play for a result,” said Mosimane.
“You know the story of beating a team two times before you meet them for the third time has been a different story, which I think the Wits game told us. We beat them twice, home and away, scored four goals, but the final was a different case and I hope it’s not the same,” added the former Bafana Bafana coach.
Equally, Mosimane believes the club’s hunger and ambition could drive them to achieving their biggest goal, which he says was the reason he accepted the Sundowns job when approached.
“It’s not for Pitso, its for Sundowns,” said Mosimane.
“I think everybody wants that and that’s why I came to Mamelodi Sundowns. In my first interview, I did say I came to this club because of the Champions League and that team wants it. I believe we will win the Champions League,” said the Brazilians mentor.
Meanwhile, Zamalek coach Momen Soliman has told kingfut.com that he will tender his resignation should his charges fail to win the Champions League title. However, like Mosimane, the bold and confident White Knights coach believes his opponents will be a difficult customer.
“Sundowns is a big, strong team just like Zamalek, and winning the title is possible for either team,” Soliman was quoted as saying.
“If we lose I’ll resign via phone call and I will not go to the club for the training sessions so that I don’t embarrass anyone if this happens. We can’t get anything wrong in the coming period; in training, sleeping, or nutrition. Everything must be done at a high level,” Soliman added.— Supersport.