CAF Champions League: We faced a tougher opposition – Esperance coach Patrice Beaumelle after loss to Sundowns

Esperance de Tunis coach Patrice Beaumelle has admitted that his team performed well against Mamelodi Sundowns.

The North African side hosted the South African giants in their first leg of the CAF Champions League on Sunday night.

However, Sundowns claimed a narrow 1-0 away win against Esperance with Brayan Leon scoring the only goal.

After the defeat, Beaumelle acknowledged his opponents’ quality, stating that the South African giants are made up of around seven players who could represent Bafana Bafana at the upcoming World Cup in June.

“There was perhaps that brief moment when we conceded. I had told my players maybe not to step out and press the goalkeeper, because that goalkeeper has the quality of an outfield player,” he said.

“And if we go to press him, naturally, we are two players short, since we still have our own goalkeeper. I had said that, but there was that burst of energy to go and press him — and we paid for it immediately.

“We did it just once, even though I had told them not to, and we paid the price. But we have to learn from our mistakes.

“As I said, I find it a bit unfair, because apart from that, we produced a very strong performance against a team that is very difficult to play against, with six or seven internationals who will go to the World Cup. That shouldn’t be forgotten.”

The return leg is scheduled for this weekend in Pretoria.