Former Zamalek star Khaled El-Ghandour has mentioned the only African football club he thinks is on Mamelodi Sundowns level. The retired footballer shared his thoughts with Egyptian broadcasting station, TeN TV, while analysing the CAF Champions League.
Why the former Zamalek star rates Mamelodi Sundowns highly
El-Ghandour’s comments came days after Mamelodi Sundowns sealed their CAF Champions League quarterfinal seat. The DStv Premiership reigning kings had an easy task over Mauritanian club Nouadhibou. Themba Zwane and Grant Kekana’s goals granted the Pretoria-based outfit a safe passage to the knockout phase via a 2-0 win. It is the sixth consecutive time that the 2016 winners have made the last-eight stage of the continental league.
The Zamalek legend’s opinion on Mamelodi Sundowns
Little wonder, Mamelodi Sundowns’ near-perfect performance did not escape the attention of the Egyptian football pundit. The 53-year explained why the DStv Premiership side is among the CAF Champions League title favourites. According to KingFut.com, El-Ghandour justified his analysis, saying: “Al Ahly and Sundowns are the two strongest teams in the African continent.”
What does the Egyptian star thinks about the other clubs in Africa
The former Zamalek midfielder noted that most teams on the continent have become weak. “I believe the CAF Champions League has become a weak tournament. Wydad are trying to improve, and Esperance’s level has declined,” he said.
El-Ghandour added that despite being rated on Mamelodi Sundowns’ level, it was embarrassing that Al Ahly are celebrating their progression to the knockout phase. The Club of the Century sealed their quarterfinal slot after beating Medeama of Ghana 1-0 last week. He said: “It is a shame to say that Al Ahly defeated Medeama and consider this an achievement. We are talking about players from the Egyptian national team. You have all the elements and capabilities to be the best team. Winning any match is normal and not an achievement.”
Who else is in the CAF Champions League quarterfinals?
Meanwhile, Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly have been joined in the CAF Champions League quarterfinals by other well-known teams. The others are Ivorians Asec Mimosas, Petro de Luanda of Angola, TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania’s Young Africans. The two teams to complete the last-eight stage will come from the list of teams such as Simba SC of Tanzania. Others are Wydad AC (Morocco), Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana), Asec Mimosa (Ivory Coast), Al Hilal (Sudan) and Esperance (Tunisia).
So far, fixtures for the quarterfinal stage have taken shape: Al Ahly faces Young Africans on March 1, 2024. The following day, the stage is set for Mamelodi Sundowns to strut their stuff against TP Mazembe.
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