‘They Beat Orlando Pirates Convincingly’ - Rulani Mokwena on Why St Eloi Lupopo Scares Him

MC Alger coach Rulani Mokwena is wary of the threat Congolese side St Eloi Lupopo poses ahead of their CAF Champions League group stage matches.

The Algerian champions are in a tough group that has Lupopo, South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, Mokwena’s former team, and Sudanese club Al-Hilal and will begin their campaign with a meeting against the latter after the international break.

While Sundowns and Al Hilal are seen as the main threats in the group, Mokwena has warned why Lupopo should not be underestimated given their journey so far that has seen them eliminate an in-form Orlando Pirates side at the second preliminary round.

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"You speak a lot about [Al] Hilal, quarterfinalists last season. You speak about Sundowns, finalists last season, you speak about MC Alger, quarterfinalists last season and then, not a lot is spoken about Lupopo and I think those are the two big games for all three of the teams that we speak about because they beat Orlando Pirates,” Mokwena told South Africa Football Journalists’ Association.

“We know the pedigree of Pirates, we know Pirates this season, you see in the league their performances and they beat Pirates convincingly in Congo. I watched the game, I watched even the game in Orlando and they will be a very difficult team.

“They are well coached, a lot of physicality, a lot of very aggressive runners and speed especially in the offensive line. So, it's gonna be very interesting, it's gonna be a very tight group but we are excited about the opportunity to compete and to try to do better than last season, that's the main message."

Lupopo eliminated Pirates on post-match penalties at the second preliminary round following 3-3 result on aggregate, when they won 3-0 in Congo, before losing by the same margin in Johannesburg and went on to win in the shootouts.

That is the only loss suffered by the Congolese side in eight matches this season, with five wins and two draws over that period.