The Mamelodi Sundowns, defending champions of the South African Premiership, had a great start to their Confederation of African Football Champions League group stage with a 2-0 win away at the Algerian club, ES Setif.

Goals from South African defensive midfielder Tiyani Mabunda and Zimbabwean midfielder Khama Billiat in each half were enough to hand the Sundowns a win away from home soil.

The Sundowns did this on Saturday, June 18 without their star Liberian forward Anthony Snoti Laffor.

Ahead of the encounter with Setif, there were reports from various South Africa media outlets that the 31-year-old refused to show up for training with the club after the FIFA international break. And consequently, he was dropped from the squad that traveled to Algeria on June 14.

Speaking to The Bush Chicken after the match, Laffor congratulated the team for the away win.

“I must congratulate the team for the victory,” he said. “Winning away from home is not an easy task. It requires a lot of pressure, especially, when you play a big team. Setif is a big team in Algeria and Africa. Winning them without conceding a goal is something great. I pray we get more of such result as the league continues,” he said.

Laffor also commented on the recent row between him and the Sundowns.

“I’ve read a lot of thing in the media about Sundowns and me,” he said. ”For me, I don’t see it as anything big. It’s just that I want a new challenge with a different club. I’ve spoken with the team, and it’s like they don’t want me to go. They still need me. We are gradually settling the issue. I have a contract with Sundowns that I respect a lot, and I’m still a player of Sundowns.”

Featured photo by T. Kla Wesley, Jr.