Morena: Sundowns aiming to make African champions’ mark against Al Ahli Saudi

Mamelodi Sundowns utility player Thapelo Morena says the club have a responsibility to represent Africa with distinction when they face Al Ahli Saudi in a decisive FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup tie on Saturday.

Sundowns enter the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in the second round after Al Ahli Saudi, the back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite (Asia) champions, eliminated Auckland FC in the African-Asian-Pacific Cup play-offs.

The match will be played at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with Sundowns hoping to progress in the competition and build on their recent experience of major international tournaments.

Morena said taking part in the tournament was an honour, while acknowledging the significance of the occasion for the club and its players.

“We are honoured to be part of it. To be honest it’s one of the biggest stages in football, every player would like to play (in it) and as a team also we’re looking forward to this game and definitely we want to deliver a good performance on the pitch,” Morena said at Sundowns’ training pitch at Chloorkop.

The 33-year-old believes the lessons from Sundowns’ participation in the FIFA Club World Cup will help them cope with the demands of the match.

Most of the players involved in that campaign remain at the club, while the newer arrivals have also begun to understand Sundowns’ environment and expectations.

“The experience we got also from the Club World Cup is one of the best, it’s also playing a big role in the team, most of the players are still there, there’s only a few players who came (recently) but they understand the atmosphere and the culture of the team,” he said.

“So it’s going to be easier for us to be on the pitch and try to absorb pressure and do what we do best on the field.”

Morena, who can play as a defender or winger for Bafana Bafana, also sees the home venue as an important advantage.

Sundowns will have the backing of their supporters at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, with Morena saying the atmosphere created by the fans can provide additional motivation as they seek to underline their status as African champions.

“It’s an advantage for us and it gives us comfort and also being around our supporters singing for us. It’s one of the things (that’s motivating us). We need to leave a mark that we’re African champions,” Morena added.