Al-Hilal Omdurman head coach Laurențiu Reghecampf has commended his players for their resilience after battling to a 2-2 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns in their CAF Champions League Group C encounter on Friday.
The result keeps Al-Hilal second in the group standings on five points, level with leaders Sundowns.
The Sudanese giants showed strong character against the South African champions, with Abdelrazig Omer netting twice to secure a valuable point.
Speaking after the match, Reghecampf admitted his side paid for lapses at the back but was pleased with the overall outcome.
“I think it’s a good result for us. We didn’t defend very well at certain moments and made small mistakes, which is why we conceded the first goal,” he told SABC Sport.
“We got the advantage very quickly but didn’t manage the game well enough. In the end, I’m happy with the 2-2 because Sundowns went ahead 2-1 and we came back. That’s a positive for us,” he added.
Attention now shifts to the reverse fixture in Omdurman next Friday, where Al-Hilal will be aiming for all three points on home soil.
Reghecampf also highlighted the competitiveness of Group C, widely regarded as one of the toughest in the tournament.
“You have to understand that Mamelodi Sundowns and Al-Hilal are the two best teams in the group. MC Alger are also coming strongly; they are an amazing team. It’s a very competitive group,” he said.
“That’s why they call this group the ‘group of death’ — it will be nice competition and nice games.”
Despite Omer’s brace, the Romanian coach stressed the importance of collective effort within the squad.
“I’m happy for everyone. When one player scores, it gives him confidence, but we must look at the team as a whole — how we play and how we develop,” he explained.
“We played against a very strong team at home. Now we have one week to prepare for the next game, which will be at home, and I hope we can win.”
