Continental warfare
AFRICA: LOCAL SIDES FACE UPHILL BATTLE TO ADVANCE TO NEXT ROUND
Defending champs Sundowns only South African team to hold a lead after their first leg tie.
All of South Africa’s representatives in continental club competition in 2017 are sitting on a knife-edge, as they head into decisive qualifiers this weekend in the Caf Champions League and Caf Confederation Cup.
For Bidvest Wits, Platinum Stars, and SuperSport United, victory at home is a must, and may still not be enough, while even Mamelodi Sundowns are treading a tightrope, with the defence of their Champions League title already under threat.
The Clever Boys will play in the standout tie of the weekend, Gavin Hunt’s side looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Cairo, if they are to reach the expanded Champions League group stages at the expense of Egyptian giants Al-Ahly.
The Red Devils are eight-time winners of the competition, and Wits will surely have to be at their absolute best tomorrow at Bidvest Stadium (kick-off 3.30pm) to turn this one around.
“They are a strong side … but Sundowns have shown us that certain things are doable … we just have to believe,” says Wits full back Siboniso Gaxa.
Pitso Mosimane’s Brazilians, after being handed a famous reprieve to play in the group stages, swept all-comers aside in last year’s competition, but have made life a little difficult for themselves in their quest to reach this year’s group stages.
Sundowns only won 2-1 in the home leg of their final qualifier against Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA), failing to take their chances to kill off the tie and eventually pegged back by Geoffrey Sserunkuma’s away goal. A 1-0 win for KCCA today in Kampala will see them land a stunning upset.
Defeat for Wits and Sundowns will see them get another chance in the Confederation Cup final play-offs, but that is a severe second prize compared to the Cham- pions League group stages.
Platinum Stars, meanwhile, can reach those Confederation Cup play-offs themselves, if they can overturn a 1-0 deficit to Vipers of Uganda at home this afternoon.
Stars coach Cavin Johnson complained about the pitch in Uganda, describing it as “a hill”.
SuperSport United, for their part, picked up two useful away goals in their Confederation Cup first leg match against Al-Ahly Shendi in Sudan on Sunday, eventually losing 3-2, and know tomorrow that a 1-0 or 2-1 home win will be enough to see them through.
“It is unlike us to concede three in one game, our defence is very strong but we are looking forward to Sunday’s game. We want to get a result and move on,” said United defender Clayton Daniels.
Also see Pages 45, 46 & 47