Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has warned his players against underestimating Mbabane Swallows, whom they meet in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round on Saturday.
Upsets are not uncommon in the tournament, but with Sundowns chasing a 10th consecutive qualification into the group stages, Umkhonto KaShaka, as the Eswatini side is nicknamed, will be up against it in a home match they are hosting at Lucas Moripe Stadium due to there being no stadium in that country fit to host such a high-calibre match.
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Speaking to journalists ahead of the match, Mngqithi insisted that they have enough squad depth and resources to overcome their opponents, emphasizing that underestimating Swallows' resolve would be their biggest mistake.
"To be honest, we have been in this route before," the 53-year-old said.
"We have played teams like Chicken Inn at this stage of the competition and they gave us a hard time. We have played teams like ZESCO [United], we know what this competition represents. We have played a team in Congo that not many people knew about – I think it was called Maniema – I think the season before last and we really struggled against that team in Congo.
"We were fortunate to go through because of the goal we scored at home.
"But the truth of the matter is when you are playing in the Champions League, you have to have respect. Many teams have burnt their fingers just because of not respecting their opponents and thinking just because they are playing in the so-called 'biggest league in Africa', they are entitled to the result.
"It's a mentality that we try our level best in the group to make sure that everyone understands that there are no easy matches in the Champions League.
"So, when you are playing Mbabane Swallows – who have also shown that they are a very good team... Denis [Onyango] spoke about the match they played in Mpumalanga against TS Galaxy. We have looked at, probably, four matches they played and know what they are capable of.
"We are not just playing pushovers but a very good team that can upset us if the mentality is not right.
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"The message we shared with the players is that if we can't match their energy, their intensity, their hunger, we won't win the match. But if we can match all three, then our quality will pull us through," concluded the head coach.
The match will kick off at 20:00.