Marumo Gallants head coach Ronnie Kanalelo believes Mamelodi Sundowns’ elimination from the CAF Champions League could have given his team an opportunity, but he has warned that the Brazilians remain a very strong opponent despite their disappointment in the competition.

Sundowns suffered an unexpected exit from Africa’s biggest club competition before reaching the group stages. The result was a major disappointment for the Tshwane side, with head coach Miguel Cardoso describing their elimination as a failure.

Following their exit, attention has shifted towards their domestic commitments, with the team expected to focus on their remaining competitions. However, there were questions about how the players would respond after such a disappointing result.

Marumo Gallants coach Kanalelo admitted that Sundowns’ elimination could have worked in his team's favour. However, he also understood that the disappointment could have motivated the Brazilians to come back stronger and prove themselves on the field.

Kanalelo explained that it was difficult to know whether facing Sundowns at that particular moment was an advantage or a disadvantage for Gallants. He pointed out that the players could have been disappointed, but their desire to respond could also have made them more dangerous.

“It could be the right time, it could be a wrong time, are they disappointed, are they sad? Sundowns are very much sad… to be out of the Champions League, it could have been an advantage for us, but it could have been a different opportunity for them for winning this competition,” he said.

The Gallants coach also highlighted the quality available in the Sundowns squad, explaining that even when they make changes to their starting line-up, they still have players capable of performing at a high level.

According to Kanalelo, some of those players would have been eager to impress and earn more opportunities in the team. He therefore refused to suggest that Sundowns were weaker because of the changes they made.

“They made many changes and when they make changes with the quality they have, you have players that are trying to place themselves in the squad – you can’t say it’s a right or wrong time. The quality is good and they are very strong,” he added.

Kanalelo also reminded people that Sundowns have experienced difficult moments before and know how to respond to setbacks. He said Gallants wanted to find out how much the continental disappointment had affected their opponents while making sure they gave their best performance.

“They have suffered before, it’s not the first time, but we also wanted to see how badly they had been affected, we gave our best – it tells you they didn’t take us for granted.”

Meanwhile, Marumo Gallants have finally recorded their first league victory of the season after beating Siwelele FC 3-2 on Friday. The result helped them move away from the bottom of the standings.

Gallants will now look to build on that important victory when they face Golden Arrows. Kanalelo's team will be hoping to collect another three points and secure back-to-back wins before the next FIFA international break.

Source: IDiskiTimes