Modiba has paid his school fees.

Mamelodi Sundowns left-back, Aubrey Modiba has had to endure a torrid time getting used to his inverted full-back role.

Against Al Ahly SC, a game that Sundowns won 5-2 during the CAF Champions League group stages, Modiba had a hand in both the goals Downs conceded, with Tau forcing him into an error for the first, and taking him to the cleaners for the second.

But just last week, the 27-year- old was voted into the CAFCL team of the week following his sterling display against Wydad AC.

That is how much Modiba has improved in a short space of time. He has credited trusting the process for his latest showings, proving once and for all, that he has paid his school fees.

"Coach always said we must trust the process, when we started pre-season in Rustenberg, the coach told us, this is how we’re going to play, he wants us to play this way and we knew why he wanted to play like this," said Modiba as quoted by iDiski Times. https://www.idiskitimes.co.za/caf-champions-league/modiba-i-didnt-understand-the-role-much/

"He always has a purpose, but when we started I didn’t understand the role much, sometimes I would do what he wants me to do and sometimes I will forget but he kept reminding me and pushing me, motivating me to be in this position.

"He knew what he wanted out of the team, so yeah, when we started, we went through the sessions and everything and started coming alright, we started understanding one another, where to go etc."

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Modiba has admitted that there is always going to be mistakes leading to critisicm, but he doesn't dwell on them.

"There’s going to be mistakes and criticism. As a player I don’t focus too much on criticism because I think I’ve played in the PSL for so long and we know these things happen, people will say things."

Modiba will be hoping for another great performance when Sundowns host Wydad AC in a CAFCL semi-final second leg encounter tomorrow ( Saturday 20 May) at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

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.

Why winning the Caf Champions League, should in fact, be an obsession for Sundowns.

Image: Twitter

The Story Is: Mamelodi Sundowns head coach, Rulani Mokwena, has said that although winning the CAFCL is a dream for Downs, it is not an obsession.

Sundowns have already qualified for the quarter-finals, with a game to spare, which they will play on
Saturday 01 April against Coton Sport at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, kicking off at 21:00.

"We have to work hard for it [to win the Champions League], that’s always the priority and this is the message I sent to the players," said Mokwena.

"The ambition to win the Champions League is not an obsession, it is the same ambition that comes from the space where we want to win the league title. That’s a dream and it is a dream we hope we can turn into reality sooner rather than later.

"The ambition to win the Nedbank Cup comes from the same space as the ambition to try to win the Champions League.

"As Sundowns, we will win the Champions League. It might not happen this season, maybe it happens next season or the season after. But the performances and the work we put in every day must reflect the dream.

"The dream of trying to win the Champions League is a positive dream and one we live and work for every day."

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The Fact Of The Matter Is: Sundowns should actually be more than obsessed about winning the CAFCL.

They have won everything there is to win in South African football. They are well on their way to lifting a sixth league title in a row, with a possibility of winning it with more than 20 points.

That speaks of domination, that speaks of a team that is far ahead of the rest.

But it is in Africa that Masandawana are yet to flex their football muscle. Since winning the CAFCL title in 2016 under Pitso Mosimane, Downs are yet to stage another serious assault for the coveted trophy.

They looked good to go last season, before choking against Pedro Du Luanda in the quarter-final stage.

Once again this season, Downs look like a team that can go all the way.

And go all the way they must, because all that is left for them to achieve is to conquer Africa once again, before they move on to bigger things like hunting for a Fifa Club World Cup medal.

In A Nutshell: No one really cares whether Sundowns wins the Nedbank Cup or any other local title anymore. That is expected of them.

But for them to be mentioned in the same breath as Al Ahly SC, and the likes of Wydad Casablanca, Downs must win another CAFCL title.

It must be their sole obsession.