Lebusa Makes Bold CAFCL Claim Ahead Of Pyramids Showdown
Mamelodi Sundowns defender Mosa Lebusa has made a bold CAF Champions League claim ahead of their clash against Egyptian side Pyramids FC in the first leg of the two-legged final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday.
After choking in the semi-final stage of the competition in the last two campaigns, the Brazilians are two games away from returning to the summit of African football, having tasted their first and only continental glory in 2016 under Pitso Mosimane.
Masandawana ousted Tunisian giants Esperance de Tunis and record 12-time African champions Al Ahly en route to the final. Meanwhile, the megarich Cairo-based outfit overcame AS FAR of Morocco and Orlando Pirates to book their place in the deciding match.
With the highly anticipated clash on the horizon, the 32-year-old center-back is expecting Pyramids to give them a run for their money, but insists his side is equally fired up and ready to live up to the occasion.
“I think it’s going to be a really tough one, we have been working very hard this season to be where we are, and we are ready for the final and the first leg of the final,” said Lebusa, who joined Sundowns in the 2018/19 season.
While he acknowledges piping the Egyptians to the title won’t be a walk in the park, Lebusa claims Masandawana have enough arsenal to finish the job in the first meeting in the capital, banking on the support of their loyal fans on home soil.
“I think it will ease up the pressure for us if we seal it at home, but CAF games are very different from any other competition. If we don’t get to seal it, we will make sure we stay in the game for as long as possible,” he added.
“But come Saturday, with our 12th man, we feel that we stand a very good chance of sealing it at home.”
However, the Downs defender says they don’t want to put added pressure on their shoulders, given that they are within touching distance of clinching the coveted trophy that has been eluding the club for so many years.
“Every season we felt like that [we can win it], but we couldn’t make it past the semi-finals. We are taking it easy on ourselves; we don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on ourselves, but we know we are close. We know that it’s on us as players to make sure that we bring the trophy home,” the former Ajax Cape Town star continued.
The Tshwane giants will be determined to get a favorable result in their backyard before jetting off to Cairo for the return leg on 1 June, while Pyramids will be keen to continue their dream run and cause another upset in Africa’s premium club competition.
