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Cape Town - Asaveka Mbekile has played down Mamelodi Sundowns' recent troubles on their travels to Congo for their CAF Champions League fixture with AC Leopards.
Pitso Mosimane's men played out to a 1-1 draw in the first-round fixture but progressed 3-1 on aggregate, and Mbekile revealed there was a bit of trouble getting to the hotel they were booked in.
"Going there wasn't bad, because it is a four-hour flight," the 29-year old told The Sowetan. "When we got there, we had to drive from Pointe Noire to Dolisie which was about four hours.
"The road is actually 160km, but it isn't proper and that's why we took longer. And because of the [presidential] elections there, the phone lines were cut off, and that's why we were stranded.
"The management booked us into another hotel closer to the airport."
There was a sense of fear among local media for the Tshwane outfit regarding their safety, but Mbekile confirmed they never ran into any trouble during their stay.
"We didn't get to understand what was going on, because of the language barrier. No-one could speak English and on Sunday, everyone was at home.
"No-one was allowed to be on the streets. So you go vote and go back home," he said.
