Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane has played down the group stage draw against his former club Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League.
Mosimane left Sundowns in September 2020 and has gone on to win two consecutive African Champions League titles with Ahly and had a controversial homecoming at Chloorkop last season that left him in tears.
It’s likely to be a fixture of fireworks with immense attention from all across the continent but the former Masandawana boss says there’s also Al-Merreikh and Al Hilal to focus on.
“It’s a game of football we have to play against each other, I think it was the same when I was at Mamelodi Sundowns before, we played Wydad about eight times,” he said after the draw on Tuesday.
“Even Zamalek when I was with Sundowns, I think we played them about six times, so you will always meet these big teams in the group or knockout stages.
“There are good and interesting games in the Champions League, it’s not about Mamelodi Sundowns, it’s about the whole group.
“If you find Sundowns, you play them, if you find Zamalek, you play them – it doesn’t matter who you find in the group.”
He continued: “It’s good to go home to South Africa to see the country again. It’s not a given that you’re going to win it, you have to fight for it.
“But you also say if you won it two times, why not win it the third time. You have to fight for it, it’s not easy, we’re playing big teams. But we believe we can win it, why not?”
