Pitso Mosimane Rates Mamelodi Sundowns CAF Champions League Chances

• The CAF Champions League is one of the toughest competitions to win
• Mamelodi Sundowns won it in 2016, but it has eluded them ever since
• Pitso Mosimane believes his former team are closer to winning it again

Since winning the 2016 CAF Champions League title in 2016, South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns have struggled to replicate that in the last few years.

Pitso Mosimane, their former coach who led them to the 2016 title, says his former team is capable of challenging for the title despite stiff competition.

Their 2016 triumph is their only win in the competition, and a second title is proving difficult, but they have come close.

Last season, an own goal from Sundowns’ defender Mothobi Mvala against Morocco's Wydad Casablanca saw them exit the competition in the semi-final.

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Angolan outfit Pedro de Luanda beat Masandawana 3-2 on aggregate to knock them out of the quarter-finals in 2022. Their journey in 2021 also ended in the quarter-finals stage.

This season in the competition, they've won one, drawn one, and lost one in four of their Champions League matches. They sit top of Group A ahead of TP Mazembe, FC Nouadhibou, and Pyramids FC, who each have four points but an inferior goal difference.

Mosimane on Sundowns

Speaking on Kaya FM, as quoted by Far Post, the former Al Wahda FC and Al Ahly coach thinks his former club can win the elusive second CAF Champions League title.

“Sundowns don’t have to call me because they doing exceptionally well,” he said.

The veteran coach compared Sundowns' pursuit of the Champions League title to Manchester City's UEFA Champions League title quest.

“They’ll win the Champions League and they’re just close to it you know. It’s like Manchester City. They have been trying but ultimately they’ll win it. And they are on the right course and they’ll go to the [club] FIFA World Cup. We’ve been to the World Cup before and they’ll do it again.”

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Sundowns are having a phenomenal season. They beat Wydad Casablanca to win the inaugural African Football League in November, per the Citizen.

Moreover, they beat Cape Town Spurs on Wednesday, December 14, to register their 11th straight win in the Premiership. They are top of the table with 33 points, eight points clear of second-placed Cape Town City, who have played three games more.

Mosimane reacts to Okocha's backing him

Sports Brief previously reported on Mosimane's reaction to Jay-Jay Okocha's claims that he would like the South African to be in charge of the Nigerian national team.

The Super Eagles legend rated the 59-year-old manager as one of the best African coaches and said he would be a good replacement for the struggling Jose Peseiro.

The Portuguese manager has been under intense criticism after the Nigerian team drew their first two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.