They have quality players and money - CR Belouizdad coach on Sundowns.

Mamelodi Sundowns beat CR Belouizdad at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday afternoon to reach the semi-finals of the Caf Champions League, and CRB coach, Nabil Kouki, can't stop singing their praises.

Money is almost always part of the conversation where Sundowns are concerned, but Kouki believes it is not only money that is pushing Sundowns ahead of the rest, but their ability to identify and sign quality players.

"Mamelodi Sundowns, in my opinion, is the best team in Africa right now. It's a challenge to play this team, their football has everything," Kouki told the media after the game.

"Football always has new things, but nowadays if you talk about football, it's money.

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"All the coaches around the world can see Sundowns is ahead of the others. They have quality players and money, yes other teams have money as well to buy players, but the Sundowns technical team has the technique to find and buy quality players. You can see them on the field, how they finish, in my opinion, Sundowns is far ahead of the other teams."

Sundowns will face Moroccan giants, Wydad Casablanca in the semi-finals.

The first leg will be played away in Morocco on the weekend of the 12th-13th of May, with the second leg scheduled for 19-20 May. 

Sundowns through to the CAFCL semi-finals.

Mamelodi Sundowns put on a business-like performance at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday afternoon to defeat CR Belouizdad 2-1.

Goals from Themba Zwane 45' and Thapelo Morena 49', were enough to see Sundowns progress to the semi-finals for the first time since 2019, where they will face familiar foes in Wydad Casablanca.

While the game did seem beyond Belouizdad's reach, with the Algerian outfit having lost 4-1 at home, a backlash was expected from them at Loftus.

Instead they gave a lukewarm performance, showing too much respect to Sundowns, despite getting on the score sheet first with a well taken header from Bouchar in the 24th minute.

Sundowns, who had nothing much to do at Loftus except to manage the game, did just that.

The Brazilians averaged 70% possession in the match, doing just enough to keep the ball away from the frustrated Algerians.

When opportunities presented themselves, Masandawana did look to threaten Belouizdad's defence, which saw them managing eight goal attempts, with four on target.

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As for Belouizdad, they didn't do enough to make a game of the quarter-final.

They saw only 30% of the ball, which was disappointing for a team looking to overturn a 4-1 score line.

Added to that was their inability to threaten the Sundowns defence. They only managed two goal attempts, with just a single one on target, which was their goal.

With the business of reaching the Caf Champions League semi-finals done and dusted, Sundowns next match will be against Amazulu FC on Wednesday 03 April at Princess Magogo Stadium. 

Sundowns, Mokwena, have earned CR Belouizdad's respect.

Ahead of the Caf Champions League second-leg quarter-final match between Mamelodi Sundowns and CR Belouizdad, the Algerian giants coach has come out in praise of Downs.

Nabil Kouki, who saw his Belouizdad side humiliated 4-1 by Sundowns in their own backyard, believes the quality of the Sundowns squad, and Rulani Mokwena's tactical acumen, have been their recipe for success.

"When talking about coach Rulani, I guess previously he has the opportunity to have good players that have been in the Champions League. I can credit him that he has a good formula to associate players that played for Sundowns before and the new players. They are not playing just good football but they're so pragmatic as they play. They are also scoring a lot of goals," Kouki said as quoted by SABC Sport. https://www.sabcsport.com/soccer/news/cr-belouzidad-coach-sings-rulani-mokwena-mamelodi-sundowns-praises

Kouki credited Sundowns' investment in good players as a master stroke.

He believes having good players who can apply the coach's tactics on the pitch is key, and that is exactly what Downs have at their disposal.

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"I would like to add something, Sundowns has invested a lot into bringing in good players. As a tactician, even though I can give a tactic, good players can convert those and Sundowns are doing that. They have invested a lot in the team by bringing very good players," he added.

Sundowns will host CR Belouizdad this afternoon [29 April] at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Kick-off is at 16:00.

In the world of motoring, they have petrol heads, and football has Mokwena, a football head.

           Image credit: Twitter

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach, Rulani Mokwena is a man married to the game.

Mokwena's passion for the game borders on total obsession, which is not a bad thing at all if one wants to be successful and stay a bit ahead of the rest in the field.

Mokwena's necessary obsession with attention to detail when it comes to preparing for opponents is nothing short of military precision, where small mistakes are a difference between life and death.

It is not surprising than, that Mokwena can already wax lyrical about his side's Caf Champions League quarterfinal opponents, CR Belouizdad.

"It is a draw we accept with a lot of humility but also with a clear understanding that it is going to be very difficult,” Mokwena told Times Live. https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2023-04-06-cr-belouizdad-a-very-good-side-sundowns-coach-mokwena-cautions/

"CR Belouizdad are a very good side, though they finished second in their group with 10 points. They have a good campaign, in the Champions League and their domestic league where they are on top of the log though they have played only 17 games. 

"The gap between number one and number two is maybe a bit of story that is similar to ours [Sundowns in the PSL] — a big gap of about 13 points. 

"They have good players. They play something similar to a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 with a strong and powerful Nigerian striker upfront, Anayo Iwuala, and their top goalscorer with five goals, Mohamed Bakir."

Mokwena on the challenge of traveling to Algeria while dealing with domestic fixtures:

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"They are an interesting side with good tactical formations and structures and we know going to Algeria is going to be difficult, particularly with the travelling and trying to map our way between domestic fixtures. 

"We have the Nedbank Cup [quarterfinal against Stellenbosch FC in the Cape on April 15] just before we have to travel to Algeria, there is a lot of work for our management team and advance travelling party to do.

"But they have a lot of experience and we trust them to assist us with the preparations." 

If Mamelodi Sundowns are to progress to the semi-finals, thorough preparations will be key, and judging by Mokwena's comments, it seems they are right on the pulse. 

What Mamelodi Sundowns can expect from CR Belouizdad.

Mamelodi Sundowns guard of honor against against Cape Town City. Image credit: Mamelodi Sundowns Twitter. 

Mamelodi Sundowns will play CR Belouizdad in the Caf Champions League quarterfinals, with the first leg encounter set to take place in Algeria on the 21st of April, before Downs host the Algerian log leaders on the 28th of April.

Downs head coach, Rulani Mokwena recently revealed to the media that they had already sent out their analysts out to the continent to gather some intelligence on their possible CAFCL opponents, meaning the Brazilians should already know what to expect from the Algerian outfit.

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But what exactly is CR Belouizdad capable of?

The Great Chabab, as Belouizdad are known back in Algeria, are currently log leaders in their domestic league after 16 matches played.

Like Sundowns, they have a thing for long unbeaten runs, as they are yet to lose a match, with 12 wins and four draws so far.

The Great Chabab are an attacking side with an average of 52% possession per game in their domestic league.

Not only are they good at keeping the ball, they know how to turn possession into valuable goal scoring opportunities, with their expected goals average standing at 2.11 per game, slightly higher than Downs' domestic average of 1.86.

Belouizdad are ruthless too when it comes to converting the opportunities they create, with an average of 1.75 goals scored per match according to FootyStats.

Defensively, they are a solid side, letting in an average of 0.50 goals per match.

When it comes to the CAFCL, where they finished second in Group D, behind ES Tunis with 10 points, The Great Chabab proved to be no impostors either.

They managed to beat Egyptian giants, Zamalek home and away.

What is impressive about them is their ability to adapt to different match conditions, when playing away, they concede possession and look to play on the counter, which is to be expected, but the most interesting thing is how they do it with great efficiency.

For example, against Zamalek in Egypt, a game they won 1-0, they enjoyed only 45% of the ball, while Zamalek had more attempts on goal with 12, compared to Belouizdad's 10, it was the Algerian outfit who created the best opportunities, with three shots on target to Zamalek's two.

In their 2-0 home win, Belouizdad took full control, enjoying 62% of the ball, while fashioning 15 attempts on goal, with four on target.

Downs can expect a team that is well versed on the art of Champions League football, which means they must be prepared for a fight and a half in their bid to progress to the semi-finals.