South African football legend Lucas Radebe says Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates are showing they are bridging the gap of quality against the giants of North Africa.
Since the tournament was formed in 1964, the Champions League was dominated by West Africa, and it took five years, before Egyptian club Ismaily won the club competition.
Since then, it’s been dominated by the North, with 34 triumphs in the last 55 years, and it goes as far back as 2009, the last time a North African club was not in the final, when DR Congo giants TP Mazembe beat Nigerian Professional Football League side Heartland.
Mazembe, Hafia (Guinea), Canon Yaoundé (Cameroon) Asante Kotoko (Ghana) are among the clubs who challenged the status quo with three titles each, Enyimba of Nigeria has two, while AS Vita, Hearts of Oak, Orlando Pirates, ASEC Mimosas, Mamelodi Sundowns, Oryx Douala, Stade d’Abijan, CARA Brazzaville, Union Douala all have won the trophy once each.
Cognisant of the dominance of the North African giants, with 27 titles shared between Al Ahly, Zamalek, Esperance, Wydad, Raja alone – Radebe feels the Premier Soccer League clubs are showing the level of quality needed to now compete with Africa’s elite.
“I think where South African football is now, we’re showing we capable to compete in the big tournaments, the CAF Champions League shows, with Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates,” he said.
“And Kaizer Chiefs coming back! They will be involved. But I believe… look going to Cairo is very difficult but you could see the standard of the game between North and South is different but we’re catching up.
“Even it was difficult to overcome those teams [in South Africa] I think we have to believe i ourselves, we can’t always put ourselves second best, at some point we have to say we can topple these teams, this needs to be in the minds of Sundowns and Pirates players.”
Both PSL clubs will be in action for the second leg semi-finals in Egypt on Friday evening.
