The Caf Champions League is going to be very tough for Sundowns, says Pitso Mosimane

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane admits that the 2016 Caf Champions League winners are in for a tough continental ride this time around.

Masandawana are set to begin their eagerly anticipated African adventure on Wednesday evening as they lock horns with Rwandan outfit Rayon Sports.

The clash promises to be a test for Sundowns, who are aiming to once again conquer the continent and return to the Fifa Club World Cup later this year.

But before Sundowns can even think about lifting the lucrative prize, there are expected to be several teams standing in their way, starting off with the Rwandan champions.

However, the 53-year-old Sundowns mentor is under no illusions of the task at hand, revealing that due to the Brazilians’ previous success on the continent they are a marked team.

“It is going to be very tough. In fact, it will be even tougher considering the fact that most clubs know who Sundowns are now,” Mosimane was quoted as saying by the Daily Sun.

In an effort to be more competitive and improve on their quarterfinal finish of last year, the Sundowns technical team has bolstered their squad efficiently.

Mosimane has brought on board several top players, including the likes of Jeremy Brockie and Aubrey Ngoma which will certainly help them in the creative and goalscoring departments respectively, but on top of that, most importantly, Mosimane believes that the club has grown with experience.

“We have experience now and know what is needed to get positive results in such matches. We have the quality and depth, and will take it one game at a time – just like we did last year,” Mosimane concluded.

Meanwhile, Sundowns will look to carry their impressive domestic form onto the continent.

Prior to departing for Kigali, Sundowns earned three valuable points away to AmaZulu and they can now fully concentrate on progression into the next round of the tournament as they hold a four-point lead at the top of the PSL table.