On Monday, Orlando Pirates’ elimination from the CAF Champions League preliminary round exposed a stark difference in mentality between them and Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Buccaneers became the only side to be knocked out of the tournament by a team from Botswana, as it happened for the second time, following their penalty shoot-out loss to Jwaneng Galaxy in the second-leg, after a 1-1 draw on aggregate.
Former Pirates and Bloemfontein Celtic winger Mark Mayambela believes the mentality of certain clubs in the PSL towards CAF tournaments is not the same as Sundowns’.
He suggested that aiming to beat the Brazilians does not mean a club has reached their level, even if they manage to do so. “The mentality that we have in South Africa, some clubs, towards CAF Champions League is not so like Sundowns. They (Sundowns) take it seriously, they want to win, they are playing it to win it,” Mayambela said on Playing The Field With Shakes YouTube channel.
“Also sometimes you hear from some coaches how they speak about these games and if your coach speaks negatively about CAF football, already as a player you’ve lost that game. “I think the mentality with these kinds of games does not only start with the players but it starts with the hierarchy, the coach of the club, the ambition of the club and the ambition of the coach. If a club plays Sundowns tomorrow and they beat Sundowns, that doesn’t mean they are at Sundowns’ level. There’s so much work that is done by Sundowns,” he added.
Pirates’ head coach Jose Riveiro’s first time entering the CAF Champions League tournament may have been a factor in their elimination, as they failed to prioritise qualification for the group stages over a chance to beat Sundowns in the league, which they ultimately lost.
