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Cape Town - Ajax Cape Town coach Roger De Sa knows very well the kind of challenges South African teams face when playing on the African continent.
De Sa was in charge when Orlando Pirates went all the way to the final of the 2013 CAF Champions League, having had to overcome many obstacles, both on and off the pitch, while also beating some of the continent's finest along the way.
He is now set to lead his current team, Ajax Cape Town, into battle in the Confederation Cup, the Urban Warriors begin their campaign with a trip away to Angola, where they meet Estadio Sagrada Esperança on Saturday afternoon.
When asked about the difficulties in playing on the continent, De Sa explained, "I think it's the mental attitude," he told KickOff.
It's all mental - you have to have the right attitude, you can't think about nice hotels and good food and scenic rides, you've got to really roll your sleeves up, put you rucksack on your back, say goodbye to your family and say, "I'll see you in four or five days because I'm going on a mission',"
"That's the way it's got to be. You can't have the attitude that you're going to Joburg or Durban to play a football match. It's not nice at all," he added.
