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Pitso optimistic Sundowns will advance in CCL

Johannesburg - Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is confident that his side will advance out of the group stages of the CAF Champions League despite a slow start to the competition. 

The 2016 African champions drew their opening two matches in the tournament to Guinea's Horoya and Morocco's Wydad Casablanca, and face a crucial tie against Togo's AS Togo-Port on 17 July at Stade Municipal. 

A victory would ease the pressure on the Brazilians with four matches still to play in Group C, and they also have the benefit of a home return leg against the Togolese on 27 July. 

Nonetheless, Mosimane is optimistic of progressing to the later rounds as his team have the experience to get the job done. 

Speaking to Kickoff, he said: "You know how it is in the group, you have to be smart. It is not how you start. 

"You must box cleverly. You must remember now this year is not number one in Group A playing runners-up in Group B. 

"Sometimes you will want to finish first to avoid this. Now everyone goes into the pot, so you want to make sure you qualify and know you are seeded somewhere. 

"If you ask me what I want, I would say I want Wydad to win against Horoya at home. Even if they can go to Horoya and draw, it will keep Horoya with one point more than us with two games. 

"Really one win for us, we are equal with them and they are still coming here. I just wish Wydad luck because they are gone now. 

"They are number one. It is the same with Zamalek when they hoped us to beat Enyimba so that they must qualify and they went to the final with us (in 2016)."

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