Brazilians trip on first step in their African journey

MAMELODI Sundowns looked distracted, and a 0-0 draw at home against arguably the weakest team in Group B, Saint George, was not the best start for the defending champions in the round-robin phase of the 2017 Caf Champions League.

In the freezing chill that grabbed the Highveld yesterday, Downs could not get into full flow against Saint George SC of Ethiopia.

Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane had said he wanted to introduce “fresh legs” for the match to counter a team with high fitness levels from playing regularly at high altitude in Addis Ababa.

Regular bench-warmers Teko Modise, Anthony Laffor and Sibusiso Vilakazi were given a start in Downs’ attack.

Defending Mamelodi Sundowns’ African crown will be harder than it was winning it‚ says Tiyani Mabunda.

Sundowns clearly had greater class than their opponents. They enjoyed most of the possession and did not concede a chance.

What seemed to be lacking most for the Brazilians was that urgency of a team seeking it’s first continental trophy, which they enjoyed last season, but they just could not muster that same level last night.

Downs are also involved in the distraction of the tightest of Absa Premiership finishes, two points behind leaders Bidvest Wits.

Perhaps once that is concluded, and they have some semblance of a much-needed break too, they can put more focus on their remaining ACL group games going forward.

For now, though, with admittedly a long way to go, it is advantage early group leaders Esperance de Tunis, who were 3-1 winners against AS Vita Club at home on Friday night.

The few thousand Ethiopians who outnumbered their Downs counterparts braving the cold to support one of their country’s biggest clubs had an almighty party in the stands, and cheered every St George touch in attack.

Sundowns began brightly with two good chances on goal in the opening 12 minutes.

Tebogo Langerman’s corner was half-cleared only as far as Khama Billiat inside the area, whose shot forced a solid save from St George goalkeeper Robert Odongkara.

From another Downs corner Hlompho Kekana won the ball on the edge of the box and laid off for Motjeka Madisha free on the right, whose strike was kept out even more athletically, with one hand, by

Defending Sundowns’ African crown will be harder than it was winning it

Odongkara.

But Downs could not keep the momentum going in the first half.

They had possession and decent combinations in the middle, for the most part easily containing St George’s keen but possession-starved attack. But the Brazilians lacked final passes.

Mostly, though, Downs could just not quite turn on their famous style that was so integral to them scoring two goals a game in almost all their home matches in winning the Champions League last year. Downs did engineer another clear opportunity early in the second half, and one they should have scored the winner from.

Laffor’s cross from the left found Vilakazi in the clear at the far post, but he stabbed his volley wide with the goalmouth beckoning.

Laffor was replaced by Yannick Zakri on the hour, then Percy Tau came on for Vilakazi. But Downs could not break down St George’s spoiling game plan. —