The entire team is defending well – Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Onyango

Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango has saluted his teammates for creating a solid defensive structure that has so far avoided conceding goals in this season’s Caf Champions League group stage.

The Brazilians have not conceded a single goal in all their three Group C matches and have found the back of the net four times.

A 3-0 win over Petro Atletico in their opening match at home, followed by a goalless draw away at Wydad Casablanca and then last Saturday’s 1-0 win over USM Alger away has defined Sundowns’ defensive strengths this term.

“I think the most important thing is that the entire team defends well,” Onyango was quoted as saying by Times Live.

“We know that in the Champions League, when you get results away from home it’s easier. We create chances. We created chances in Morocco [against Wydad]. We actually scored but the goal was disallowed.

“So, the moment we create chances we need to keep it tight at the back. And that’s what the guys have done.”

Onyango has guarded goal twice in this group campaign against Wydad and USM Alger while his understudy Kennedy Mweene started against Petro Atletico.

The Ugandan hailed their steely defensive unit as hard work from all departments on the field.

“We believe that if we can get five clean sheets in the group we always have a chance to score,” Onyango said.

“So the guys are doing their best to defend well. The back four are talking to the midfielders, the midfielders are talking to the strikers.

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“Because we defend from the top. So the team has been doing that very well, especially in the away games.

“Away from home we need to work extremely hard. If the opposition don’t score, we get a point [at least]. If we don’t score we get a point. But we always create chances.”

The other team which is yet to concede goals in this group stage campaign is defending champions Esperance but the Tunisians have scored just three goals.