Fadlu Davids has explained why Raja Casablanca players — and many others across Africa — now want to play for South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns.
Davids was speaking after the Brazilians won the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup, defeating Al Ahli Saudi at Loftus Versfeld last week.
The former Raja coach praised Sundowns owner Dr Patrice Motsepe for having a clear vision of turning the club into an African powerhouse from the moment he took over.
According to Davids, Sundowns have grown into such a major and respected force on the continent that players now aspire to join the club.
He revealed that even during his time at Raja, some players would approach him and ask if he could help them secure a move to Sundowns.
“It’s very important for a leader with vision and know where he wants to take the club, not everybody understood what he meant when he said [he wants Sundowns to dominate in Africa],” Davids said on Radio 2000.
“But now we see it, just for an example, I think any player at Raja [Casablanca] would always come to me and say please get me into Sundowns.
“Everybody wants to play for Sundowns. Everybody fears Sundowns. That is just the visibility in CAF Champions League, always being in semi-finals, finals.
“And really, yes, only two Champions Leagues titles, but it’s not easy to win the Champions League. They have always been there and thereabouts.
“It’s only through visionary leadership like Dr Patrice Motsepe, what he’s done not only to Sundowns, but in South African football, because as he raised the bar, the other clubs had to raise the bar as well.
“It lifted the entire league here. So a huge, huge credit for our president of CAF at the moment.”