Mabasa is optimistic Bucs can land another CAF star

Group C leaders and 1995 Champions League winners Pirates face second-placed Al Ahly, who are also defending champions, in their final group stage game in Cairo tomorrow (6pm SA time). Both teams have already qualified for the quarter-finals but winning the group is at stake as Pirates have 11 points, one ahead of Al Ahly.

“This (reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League) is everything we have always wanted to achieve as a team… this success is great.” I don’t know when the last time this club was in the quarter-finals of the Champions League (the last time, “The last time they were in the quarter-finals was in 2013 when they went all the way to the final before losing to Al Ahly),” Mabasa said.

“Hopefully we can continue to work hard and achieve victory in this tournament. We’re really looking forward to getting to the semi-finals and we’ll go from there… hopefully we can get the second star, but we’ll take a game as it comes.

“Al Ahly is a big team, but we are also a big team and want to win the group. We know it won’t be easy, especially away from home, but we believe in ourselves. We’re going to go there and put on a show…we’re ready for it.”

Mabasa attributed reaching the last eight of the Champions League to the nature of their pre-season and the hunger they felt after being knocked out in the preliminary round by less-favoured Botswana champions Jwaneng Galaxy last season.

“We worked long and hard in pre-season and now we are reaping the rewards. “This is also a development from last season because we were eliminated early, but that motivated us to want more this season,” said Mabasa.

SowetanLIVE