by DION HENRICK
CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – MAMELODI Sundowns do not need divine intervention to reach the final of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League.
That is because the South African side’s weekend semifinal tie with Egyptian side, Al Ahly, is evenly-balanced.
Not really. Sundowns need Divine intervention.
That need is in the form of Divine Lunga, the unsung Zimbabwean fullback who has gone about his business quietly on the rear left and excites while bombing forward as the South African side chases a second continental title.
At Downs, the plaudists are almost always on inspirational goalkeeper, Rowen Williams, Namibian hotshot Peter Shalulile and the ensemble of South Americans dominating the local as well as African competitions.
There is folly though in denying the role played by Lunga, the lanky 29-year-old from the arid, impoverished suburb of Mpophoma, central of Zimbabwe’s second capital Bulawayo.
Mpophoma neighbours Iminyela, Mabuthweni, Matshobana and Phelandaba, all sharing synonimity with the Zulu Kingdom of neighbouring South Africa.
In the humble Mpophoma, Lunga joined the local side Ajax at 19 but on Friday, he will be representing the most ambitious side in the continent at the semifinals of the CAF Champions League.
“I think it’s not going to be an easy game, just like when we played in Pretoria, but we are going to put maximum effort so that we can win the game,” Lunga tells the Downs official web platform
“We don’t want to go to the penalties because penalties are like a game of gambling. So, we will need to put on our A-game so that we can manage to score and win the game in 90 minutes,” the left back said.
He is not deterred by the imposing atmosphere awaiting the undisputed South African champions at the 75 000-seater Cairo International Stadium.
This from a player that was familiar with the modest 15 000-seater Luveve Stadium of the modest Chicken Inn in his homeland and 6 500-Sugar Ray Xulu hosting Golden Arrows, the South African side he joined in 2018 before his mega move to Sundowns.
“Playing in big stadiums will not be new for us,” Lunga said assuredly.
“We have several players who are exposed to such crowds in their respective national teams. It’s going to be a normal game for us, and the huge crowd will not affect us in any way.”
Downs and hosts are pegged at 0-0 from the first leg.
It is an all-Egyptian affair with Orlando Pirates and Pyramids to contest the other semifinal.
– CAJ News