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Win or bust for goal-shy Sundowns in CAF Champions League
JOHANNESBURG, Aug 27, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa
are a seeded club in danger of elimination as the struggle for CAF Champions
League quarter-finals places reaches a climax Tuesday.
The Pretoria outfit must win at home to prevent opponents Horoya of Guinea
qualifying at their expense from a mini-league already won by title-holders
Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.
Pitso Mosimane, who coached Sundowns to the 2016 Champions League title, is
optimistic despite his team failing to score in their past three matches in
all competitions.
“We will win against Horoya,” he insists. “We are a good team and playing
at home, where we are very strong.”
AFP Sport takes a group-by-group look at the final fixtures with eight
clubs in contention for three quarter-finals places.
Group A
Record eight-time African champions Al Ahly of Egypt and Esperance of
Tunisia have already qualified, so who finishes first is the outstanding
issue.
Ahly lead on head-to-head records having won and drawn against Esperance
and a home win over Kampala Capital City Authority of Uganda will ensure they
stay top.
Bottom club Township Rollers of Botswana hope to end a four-match losing
streak when they host Esperance.
Group B
TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the last of whose five
Champions League titles came in 2015, are certain of taking top place after
an unbeaten five-match run.
The Lubumbashi side host second-place Difaa el Jadida of Morocco, who
recently sold leading 2018 Champions League scorer Hamid Ahaddad to Zamalek
of Egypt.
Assuming Mazembe win, 1976 African champions Mouloudia Alger will join them
in the September 3 quarter-finals draw if they avoid defeat at home to fellow
Algerian team Entente Setif.
Group C
Sundowns recently lost Percy Tau to English Premier League club Brighton
and Zimbabwean Khama Billiat and Colombian Leonardo Castro to domestic rivals
Kaizer Chiefs.
The overall effect has been a shortage of goals with Venezuelan Jose Ali
Meza yet to settle and New Zealander Jeremy Brockie unable to replicate his
form at another South African club.
While Sundowns and Horoya fight for survival, Wydad are away to bottom club
Port of Togo, whose only points came from a shock home win over the South
Africans.
Group D
Etoile Sahel of Tunisia are through to the last eight as group winners and
Primeiro Agosto of Angola are well positioned to join them.
A home win over an Mbabane Swallows of eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) side
battling since the sale of several stars will guarantee the Luanda club
second place.
But if Primeiro slip up, they could lose out to Swallows or 2016 semi-
finalists Zesco United of Zambia, who host Etoile hoping for more goals from
in-form striker Lazarous Kambole.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1206 hrs