Sundowns’ best opportunity to add second CAF star
TO SUGGEST it is now or never would be a bit unfair to Mamelodi Sundowns. After all, there is every indication that the Brazilians are going to be continental kings – be it this year or the next, or two years thereafter.
Yet looking at the line-up of this year’s CAF Champions League quarterfinalists, I cannot help but believe that the South African champions have arguably their best chance of winning the competition for the second time since they lifted the trophy in 2016.
For the first time in the history of the competition, there are the lowest number of North Africans in the quarter-finals on record. Never before has the Champions League’s dominant region had less than four teams in this stage, but this year it has just Al Ahly and Esperance.
It makes for a more open contest, with Tanzania incredibly the most represented country with two teams in Simba and Yanga – the latter being Sundowns’ next opponents. Both teams made it after eliminating North
African opposition via the head-tohead rule and will be cock-a-hoop ahead of clashes against Al Ahly and Sundowns.
However, continental standing and history suggest that the Egyptians and the South Africans should prevail over their Tanzanian adversaries. I daresay we’ll have an Ahly v Sundowns final.
And this being their best opportunity to reach the ultimate stage of the continent’s premier club knockout competition, Rulani Mokwena and his team will have no one but themselves to blame if they don’t get crowned champions of Africa. Of course, beating Ahly will not be easy, but it can be done.
Well, I’m getting ahead of myself because there is still the small matter of the quarter-finals for Sundowns’ Themba Zwane and Co to negotiate.
That I believe this is Sundowns’ best chance has also got to do with the fact that their bogey team – Wydad Athletic Club – are out of the competition. The Moroccans have been the stumbling block to glory for the multiple SA champions on numerous occasions in previous campaigns, with last year’s semi-final victory via the away goal perhaps the most painful for Sundowns.
Sundowns’ toughest game could well come in the semi-final – I’m assuming they will overcome Yanga who they visit on Saturday for the first leg before hosting them on the Friday thereafter. They are likely to face Esperance in the semis should the Tunisians beat Asec Mimosa of the Ivory Coast in the last eight.
Esperance are a typical North African team that is very solid defensively and are pretty streetwise in continental competition – knowing exactly when to slow a match down, frustrate the opposition or goad the referee into blowing decisions their way.
They are not a high-scoring team as evidenced by their finding the opposition net just seven times in the group stage. But they don’t let their defence get breached, the Blood and Gold having conceded just three times in one match and shutting their opposition out in their remaining seven matches.
And having previously beaten Sundowns in the competition, they are sure to be tough opponents. But this Sundowns team are high on confidence and hungry for continental glory, having tasted it in the inaugural African Football League tournament.
They got the better of Yanga 6-5 on aggregate in a qualifier before and should prove too strong for the Tanzanians, whose coach Miguel Gamondi previously managed the South Africans. Last year as he took Sundowns to the verge of glory until that own goal by Mothobi Mvala at Loftus Versfeld broke Masandawana’s hearts, Mokwena spoke about the stars seemingly being aligned.
Wydad’s exit from the competition looks to many as stars being aligned much more in Sundowns’ favour than they were last year – at least with regard to them reaching the final for the first time since winning the trophy under Pitso Mosimane.
And with Ahly likely to be their opponents in the finale, wouldn’t it be poetic if the Brazilians were to be crowned champions in Cairo, as they were eight years ago when they beat Zamalek?
Of course, stranger things have happened in this beautiful game of billions. But what would be strange for me is if Sundowns didn’t take this evident opportunity of continental glory they have.
Surely it has got to be now that they add a second star above their club crest?