CAF CL: Zwane opens up on Sundowns facing Mokwena & Pirates’ slayers – ‘You can’t choose who you want to play’

Mamelodi Sundowns have been pooled with MC Alger of Algeria – who are coached by their former coach Rulani Mokwena, Orlando Pirates' slayers St Eloi Lupopo, and Al Hilal SC of Sudan.

The majority of the players at Masandawana worked with the 38-year-old when he was coaching the defending Premier Soccer League champions. He had a good relationship with the players before his unceremonious exit two seasons ago.

South Africa international Themba Zwane has opened up on facing his former coach in the prestigious annual continental competition. 

It will be exciting

“That’s Champions League for you, you can’t choose who you want to play, but it is an exciting group. We have a good team to compete with quality players, we have to bring our A game to all the matches and try to put the team where it can qualify for the next round,” Zwane opened up to the media. 

“Lupopo, we watched them against [Orlando] Pirates and we will analyse them again, we know what to do and what to expect from them.

Coach Rulani is a good coach and we know him and he knows us. It will be an exciting game to watch when we play against them. But for us, we will go there to win the game, not to prove a point but to put the team in the right position to qualify.

“We have so much respect for him [Mokwena]. He has done a lot for the club, and we love him. As players, we’ve learned a lot from him when he was here, so I think we will welcome him with open hands,” Zwane concluded.