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JOHANNESBURG – Hlompho Kekana fired a powerful warning shot at the AS Togo-Port, telling the Togolese side that he would face another Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League match in Lomé tomorrow.
AS Togo-Port host the Brazilians at Stade Minicipal at 3 pm South African time, in their third match of the group stage of the Champions League.
Both teams started slowly. The Togolese have not yet scored a point during their first participation in the group stage of the first cup of the continent. The Brazilians have just two points from their first two games, placing them behind Wydad Casablanca and Horoya who are both on four points.
This is the worst start of the Sundowns in the group stage of the Champions League. Last year they had four points in their first two games and in 2016 they were six points at this point.
"There have been a lot of games in a very short time," Kekana said. . "Most of our goal was to get our league back in. We knew it was going to be hard to juggle between the two because we had to win at least one trophy here at home because we did not do that for a long time. We won a trophy in the national league in 2016 and we did not win anything here last season.That put us under pressure
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"That's why we did not start well in the Champions League because we focused on most of our Championship matches towards the end of the season. The beginning of the group stage
"Now we are back, well rested and focused on the Champions League, it is a difficult tournament that requires a lot of energy and concentration. we have collected two points, it's better than nothing. "
Kekana and his company are in Lome since Friday, they have been training on an artificial pitch in preparation for what they will play. The maths are simple for the Sundowns, winning the two consecutive matches against AS Togo-Port to sit in a comfortable position in Group C while Horoya and Wydad will cancel in their two games consecutive.
The Brazilians have just taken a short break to finish last season in style by winning their eighth league title. This title has guaranteed them the Champions League title for the fifth year in a row – something no other South African team has ever managed to get.
This regular appearance in the Champions League comes with challenges, like being the last team in the country to take a break and be the first to be back in competitive football. That does not bother Kekana, 33, who played an important role in these campaigns.
"We had this discussion when we started the Champions League in 2015 that we want to be the generation that brings a lot of glory to the Mamelodi Sundowns," said Kekana. "It takes a lot of energy from our bodies and sacrifices to spend time with our families."
We just want to try to do well for the club in the time we have at Mamelodi Sundowns. We do not have enough time to do some things, but we appreciate the time we have in football.
We can not complain about short breaks. We chose football. We love football so we have to do what we have to do. "
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