Former Mamelodi Sundowns player Papi Mbele has warned the team to be cautious of their Egyptian rivals, Pyramids FC.
The newly crowned Premier Soccer League champions will host Pyramids in the first leg of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final, scheduled to take place at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday at 15:00.
Mbele emphasizes that Sundowns should treat this match as a do-or-die situation, stating that they must not let anything distract them.
“We should aim to win 2-0,” Mbele tells KickOff.
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"Pyramids is a very strong team, they've been dominant in the Egyptian league for about seven years now. The player that concerns me the most is Ramadan Sobhi.
“What I would advise Mamelodi Sundowns' coach, Miguel Cardoso, is that the ball carrier is crucial when facing Pyramids. We need to close down the ball carrier, particularly on the wings.
"If we manage this, Fiston Mayele will find it difficult to score. Remember, they have scored more goals than any other team in the Champions League, so we must stop the ball carrier from feeding Mayele.
"Ibrahim Adel is also a very talented player. However, I remain optimistic that Sundowns will score one or two goals this weekend. The game is sold out, which will work in Sundowns' favour," he added.
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"Sundowns' combination play could pose a challenge for Pyramids, as Egyptians can be quite emotional. However, we are vulnerable when it comes to set pieces; that's where we need to improve. Our weaknesses lie in dealing with aerial balls.
"Thus, we must prevent the ball carrier from delivering crosses and rely on our combinational play, as Pyramids are known to be weak defensively. I expect Themba Zwane to come on as a substitute and make a significant impact.
"As long as we don’t concede against this team, we will be fine. In Egypt, we will face a hostile environment and passionate fans."
