The importance of Mamelodi Sundowns' CAF Champions League match against Young Africans on Friday night will be as distinct as never before for Rulani Mokwena since he took over.
These are the hurdles that Mokwena was employed to scale as it is no secret that the Champions League is the prime target at Chloorkop.
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Yes, winning the DStv Premiership is an achievement with Sundowns on the way to their seventh in a row, but what is top of the list is the Champions League.
This is what Sundowns need to win to put a stamp on their standing as being the best team on the continent.
It is for this reason that the midweek league victory over Richards Bay FC was given little attention despite having been win number 50 since Mokwena became the sole head coach in October 2022.
Yanga's visit to Loftus Versfeld (20h00) will be the 75th game in charge for Mokwena and the best way to celebrate that will be with a win and a place in the semi-finals against either ASEC Mimosas or Esperance de Tunis.
Sundowns just need to win within 90 minutes to go through.
If it happens that they go out, it will have catastrophic consequences.
So, this is important.
"I said to the players at the beginning of the season that it doesn't make sense trying to think about winning the Champions League when you are not consistently in the semi-finals and the finals to try and break the monopoly of the North African teams," says Mokwena.
The Brazilians are in the quarterfinals for the sixth consecutive season.
"The North Africans consistently put their names in situations where they are close enough to compete for the trophy.
"Our focus has to be in being the semi-finals and final every season.
"To try and break that dominance we have to push ourselves to be regulars in the semis and finals of the Champions League and AFL.
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"Al Ahly and Wydad (Casablanca) win most of them because they are in the semis and finals.
"Our mentality is to take the step into getting there," adds Mokwena, whose teams must break down the Tanzanians.
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