Mamelodi Sundowns take on Al-Merrikh Sporting Club of Sudan on Saturday in the second matchday of their CAF Champions League group stage campaign.
After defeating Al Hilal Omdurman in the first group game last week Friday, Downs will be looking to add three more points to their tally to secure a strong start in group A.
Defender Rushine De Reuck has been an important cog in the Sundowns defense and has played in every game this calendar year, in which Masandawna have keep 3 clean sheets in 4 games. De Reuck has attributed the strong defensive start to the year to the entire team’s willingness press from the front and press as a team:
“Defending starts from the front. So I think a lot of credit has to go to guys like Peter [Shalulile], [Themba] Zwane , [Thabiso] Kutumela and Gaston [Sirino] to mention a few. They’ve worked really hard for the team and they are a big reason the team is keeping so many clean sheets. It’s also very important that we have a good understanding in the back line because there’s no room for error , we must almost have the perfect game all the time.”
Last week’s win against Al Hilal came courtesy of an early goal from Themba Zwane, who capitalized on a defensive mistake. The Brazilians then sustained pressure from the visitors to maintain the lead throughout the match. Rushine suggested that the team are in for another tough encounter against Al-Merrikh:
“I’m expecting a very physical game, quite similar to the Al-Hilal game. We have to be ready as a team and fight for everything. We know that we can hurt them if we use the ball well and take our chances.”
De Reuck – who recently celebrated his birthday – has been with Sundowns for just over a year now and has had his fair share of continental football. The number 28 shared some insight on how the football internationally differs from what the team is used to facing against local sides:
“I feel in the Champions League it’s a lot more structured and teams are a little bit more clinical. The game seems a bit easier but an easy game on the eye can be very dangerous so we have to stay switched on throughout the match. We have to make sure we give nothing away because every game has those tough moments and we have to be ready.”
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