Onyango: Sekhukhune Clash Will Aid CAFCL Preparations
Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango believes their upcoming Nedbank Cup encounter against Sekhukhune United will help them prepare for the CAF Champions League clash against Esperance de Tunis.
The Brazilians will host Babina Noko at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Friday evening (19:00) in the quarterfinals of the Ke Yona cup, with the last semi-final spot and a meeting with Kaizer Chiefs on the line.
The initial date for the match was postponed earlier this month as the Lucas Moripe venue was double-booked with the women’s Under-17 FIFA World Cup qualifiers game taking place on the same day – inconveniencing the Sundowns amid their fixture congestion.
“The preparations going into the Nedbank Cup are going well. Of course, we would have loved to play a couple of weeks back, but the game was postponed, and we slept there in the camp. You know how it is when you prepare for a game,” said Onyango.
Now, ahead of the tie, Onyango admits Masandawana faces a selection headache with some of their international stars in doubt for the match, particularly the Bafana contingent, who touched down in South Africa from the Ivory Coast on Wednesday morning.
This might see Onyango getting another run in place of Ronwen Williams in goals.
“We are looking forward to the game once again, even though some guys were at the national team. They will come in and join us for just a few days, but we have no choice; we have to play because we have a lot of games,” he added.
“We have to play in the league, the Champions League, and of course the Nedbank Cup. The guys are looking forward. everyone who’s given an opportunity has to do their best because we are all here to play.”
While the fixture piles up Sundowns’ already-tight schedule, the veteran shot-stopper says it’s ideal to play Sekhukhune before they lock horns with the Tunisian giants in the quarterfinals of Africa’s elite club competition at Loftus Stadium on Tuesday (15:00).
“And for me, I think the game on Friday is another game that will give us one more game before we play the Champions League game against Esperance on Tuesday, but so far so good, and we are looking forward to it,” the 39-year-old former Uganda international continued.
Miguel Cardoso’s charges will undoubtedly welcome the opportunity to gain match sharpness before the crunch meeting with the Taraji. The 52-year-old Portuguese tactician will face his former club – a team he eliminated his current employers with in the semi-finals last season.
