Chicken on menu for Sundowns

Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns have dominated the South African domestic scene in recent years. They have shared the last three Absa Premiership titles between them, Chiefs winning two and the Brazilians one, with Pitso Mosimane’s side set to add another to their cabinet at the end of this season.

Neither side, however, has been particularly impressive on the continental club scene, increasing the importance of the two clubs’ Caf Champions League campaigns, which start this weekend.

Amakhosi won the Mandela Cup in 2001, but have never reached the last eight of the Champions League. Sundowns reached the Champions League final in 2001, but haven’t managed anything like that since. Both Chiefs and Sundowns were dumped out of last year’s Champions League in the last-32.

Only Orlando Pirates have been keeping up South Africa’s continental image, the Buccaneers reaching the Champions League final in 2013 and the Confederation Cup final in 2015. That has helped SA in more ways than one, with the amount of South African clubs allowed in the Champions League increased back to two by the Confederation of African football last year.

Chiefs and Sundowns need to prove the value of that in this year’s competition, having singularly failed to do so last year. Sundowns probably have the better chance: Mosimane is talking a good game in terms of wanting the trophy and having at his disposal a squad that looks capable of going far in this year’s competition.

If Sundowns can carry their form from the domestic league into Africa, they should dish out a hammering to Chicken Inn of Zimbabwe tonight. Chiefs should also prove too much for Volcan de Moroni of the Comoros tomorrow, although they are then likely to face the might of ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast in the next round.

Steve Komphela’s side have not been performing well recently and it is hard to see them getting past ASEC Mimosas unless they improve considerably.