Marumo Gallants coach Ronnie Kanalelo believes Mamelodi Sundowns’ unexpected exit from the CAF Champions League created an opportunity for his team, but he warned that the disappointment could also make the Brazilians more determined.

Sundowns were eliminated by Angola’s Wiliete SC after a 1-1 draw in Pretoria on October 23. The result ended their hopes of defending the continental title and left head coach Miguel Cardoso describing the elimination as a failure.

Gallants subsequently faced Sundowns in the Carling Knockout Cup last-16 encounter at Loftus Versfeld on October 27. Although Kanalelo saw the possibility of taking advantage of the hosts’ disappointment, he was aware that their quality made them dangerous opponents.

The Brazilians eventually secured a narrow 1-0 victory, with Siyanda Ndlovu scoring in the 20th minute to send them into the quarter-finals.

Speaking about the circumstances surrounding the encounter, Kanalelo admitted that Sundowns’ emotional state could have worked either in favour of his team or against them.

“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 pointed out that Cardoso had made several changes to his starting line-up, giving players outside the regular first-choice group an opportunity to impress.

According to Kanalelo, the depth of quality available at Sundowns meant that squad rotation did not necessarily weaken the team.

“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 further acknowledged that Sundowns had experienced difficult moments before and understood how to respond to setbacks. He said Gallants wanted to establish how much the continental disappointment had affected their opponents while giving their own best effort.

Despite losing that cup encounter, Gallants later secured their first league victory of the season, beating Siwelele FC 3-2 on Friday, October 30.

The result lifted them from the bottom of the league standings, and they will now seek another positive result against Golden Arrows before the next FIFA international break.

Source: https://x.com/idiskitimes/status/2116878106463969643?s=46