Mamelodi Sundowns’ nippy midfielder Khama Billiat is braced for CAF Super Cup face-off with TP Mazembe tomorrow at the Loftus Versveld Stadium.
“Games like this are the only way you can measure how big or good you are.
“This is going to be a big game. Nothing can be bigger, at least at continental level,” the Zimbabwean told the club’s official website.
The duel will not come as surprise to them, as they have been preparing for it since winning the CAF Champions League last year.
“Once we had won the CAF Champions League, we knew we had to do planning for the Super Cup. We know what is coming. They know us and we know them,” he added.
Khama laughed off the notion that they could be under pressure – coming up against an experienced Mazembe, who have won the title three times previously – saying that they are used to such demands of the game.
“We are always under pressure. We need to deliver for ourselves, for the fans, for the president and for our families.
“Pressure is part of our lives. Games like this build character and ideally every game we play should be at this level and intensity. That way we all grow and the game gets bigger and better as we get used to such an environment,” he grinned.
He added, “TP Mazembe are a huge team, and we will respect them. But we have to do what we do best. They have achieved a lot, but that does not mean they wikll be better than us, we know they are not an easy team to beat, but it will all come down to who is hungrier, and I know that we are hungry enough.”
Billiat believes that the roller coaster experience from their last three games – a hard fought victory over Bloemfontein, a thrashing of Orlando Pirates, and a draw against Chippa United – has prepared them well for the Saturday’s game.
“We were tested, and all aspects of the game were tested, and we will be stronger for it.”
Billiat and other regulars did not feature against Chippa. “We have a strong team and we trust the judgement of the coach. He has changed the team often, and he has made it clear that everyone in Sundowns deserves to play.”
The two have clashed four times previously, with each winning twice on home soil.
