CAF Champions League: Sundowns Coach Wary Of Zamalek Threat

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane is more than wary of the threat posed by Egyptian giants Zamalek.


The Brazilians will lock horns with the White Knights in a 2016 Caf Champions League Group B clash on Sunday; victory for either side will take them within touching distance of the semifinals.

Both teams accumulated a full set of points in their opening game against Enyimba with Sundowns beating the Nigerians 2-1 last time out - this after their 2-0 win over ES Setif was chalked off after the Algerians were disqualified from the competition.

Zamalek - five time winners of the continental showpiece - have enjoyed a good run of form of late and will be hoping to carry that form into the clash against the South Africa champions.

Having steered the White Knights to a second place finish in the Egyptian Premier League, Mohamed Helmy - who won the Caf Champions League twice as a player with Zamalek - will be hoping to guide the club to their first win in the tournament for 14 years.

Helmy took over the reins from Alex McLeish who was sacked after 65 days in charge of the Cairo giants.

"They [Zamalek] have changed their coach, they had the Scottish coach [McLeish ], it is a local coach now, but the tactics are the same, I have watched games of McLeish and the local coach [Helmy], and they are still playing the same way," said Mosimane.

"Typical North Africans, avoid set-pieces, they have big boys and they deliver the ball with proper technique. Against Setif it was the same, the corner-kicks were all perfect, the free-kicks were delivered into a good area.

"We have got to be aware of that and stop making silly mistakes, avoid the corner-kicks we conceded against Enyimba because that brings more stress and pressure, but football wise they are similar to Setif.

Mosimane has highlighted three-key players which the Brazilians intend to nullify if they are to secure a memorable win in Egypt:

"They have two quality players, one on the right - number 30 [Mostafa Fathi] - very good in one-v-one situations and then number three [Tarek Hamed] - like Esrom Nyandoro - distributes the ball, he is the man that starts the show.

"They have a big fighter in number 17 [Basem Morsi] - he is the one that scored against Enyimba; quick like [Thamsanqa] Gabuza, same body, strong and powerful. Those are the player's we have to look after, they are dangerous.

"Zamalek always have good teams."

Kick-off at the Petro Sport Stadium in Cairo is scheduled for 19h30 CAT.