Remo Stars coach makes bold claim after Sundowns thrashing | OneFootball

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Remo coach makes bullish statement after Downs drubbing

Photo: Remo Stars head coach Tiago Conde

Remo stars head coach Tiago Conde has made a bold claim following his team's crushing defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League last Sunday.

The South African champions eased to a dominant 5-1 win at the expense of the Nigerian champions in the first leg of the second preliminary round at MKO Abiola Sports Arena.

Reflecting on the thrashing, the Portuguese mentor made an honest admission that Sundowns were head and shoulders above his team on the day.

“We respect Sundowns, they are one of the best teams in Africa, and you could see their quality today [Sunday]. But we'll take lessons from this defeat. The boys gave everything, and we'll correct our mistakes before the return leg,” Conde said after the match as quoted by Nigerian outlet Sports 247.

Despite acknowledging Downs' pedigree on the continent in contrast to his side, Conde believes his charges are capable of overturning the deficit in Pretoria.

“This is football, sometimes you lose to learn. We will review our performance, fix our defensive lapses, and approach the second leg with a better mentality. Overturning a four-goal deficit is tough, but not impossible,” he asserted.

"We are a young team still finding our rhythm at this level. This is part of our growth process, and we'll comeback stronger.

The second leg is penciled in for Sunday, 26 October at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, with the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) outfit set for an uphill battle.