SuperSport United’s captain Dean Furman believes that Matsatsantsa’s 2-2 draw in Lubumbashi against the defending champions TP Mazembe was the turning point in their Caf Confederation Cup campaign.
SuperSport are scheduled to take on Tunisia’s Club Africain on Sunday in what is expected to be the club’s biggest test yet, but the 29-year-old is unfazed by the challenge which lies ahead.
“People know that we relish the big challenges,” Furman told The Star.
“We arrived there (in Lubumbashi) to face a top club in the continent and came from two goals down to get a point.
“I think that was the turning point for us. That is when we believed that we could go all the way. For us now it isn’t only about the 180 minutes over the two legs against Club Africain, another top side in Africa, but making sure it doesn’t end here.”
“We knew then we were good enough,” the captain added.
The South Africa international also acknowledged the role continental football has played in the team’s development as the players have developed a better understanding of each other on the field due to the amount of time spent travelling around the continent.
“I believe it is true that we have some sort of telepathy now,” he said.
“The average footballer comes to training and then goes home, but we have had to spend time with each other both on and off the pitch.
“We got to know each other socially as well and this has created a bond. You can see that we fight for each other.
"There was an incident against Horoya (in Conakry, Guinea), and I don’t think we would be here today if we didn’t stand for each other the way we did.
“What this tournament has done for us as a team is quite remarkable,” Furman explained.
Meanwhile, Furman hopes that SuperSport will go all the way and admits that coach Eric Tinkler’s experience on the continent has benefited SuperSport.
“This has been a year’s worth of work, as long as a season almost, to get to where we are. We certainly don’t want it to end here,” said Furman.
"It is a plus also to have coach Eric Tinkler with his experience both as an ex player and someone who reached the final of this competition as a coach with Orlando Pirates,” Furman said.
“He has stressed the importance of winning our home games because once you are away it is quite unpredictable. We also know that Club Africain has an incredible amount of support at home.
"But for us as players, we have to make sure we take whatever is thrown at us and we implement the coach’s tactics. He has been spot on in every analysis of the opponent,” Furman concluded.
