Wounded Mamelodi Sundowns eye CAF Champions League final as Al Ahly clash looms large at Loftus

Mamelodi Sundowns shift their focus to the CAF Champions League encounter against Al Ahly, with a place in the coveted final up for grabs when the two sides clash at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off).

The Brazilians brushed aside Esperance de Tunis in the quarter-finals, beating the Tunisian side 1-0 on aggregate following two intense legs over the past fortnight.

Sundowns are chasing their first final appearance since 2016. Having fallen agonisingly short in the past two seasons under current Wydad Athletic Club coach Rulani Mokwena, the hope is that it will be third time lucky for the Chloorkop-based outfit.

The Brazilians are unbeaten against the Red Devils in their last seven meetings. As they continue to lick their wounds following a surprise 2-1 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals on Sunday, they now face their sternest Champions League test yet, with little time to dwell on their domestic stumble.

With the Nedbank Cup no longer in play, this weekend’s match takes on even greater significance. Only two trophies remain in contention, and as the season draws to a close, the pressure to deliver continues to mount. Nevertheless, securing both the league title and the premier continental crown would mark a promising start to Miguel Cardoso’s tenure.

Former captain Hlompho Kekana praised the team’s performance despite the loss to Chiefs and highlighted the benefit of an immediate return to the field.

“When you play for Mamelodi Sundowns, every match is like a cup final,” said Kekana. “Luckily for this team, you don’t rest for more than a week, and for the players, that’s good — after a setback, you can redeem yourself in just two days’ time.

“I still believe they are in a good position to continue with the strong season they’ve had. Losing one match in the circumstances we faced on Sunday — when you reflect — there won’t be many corrections to make.

“We lost the game due to our own mistakes, ones we don’t usually make, and we should take those and put them in our back pockets, so when we correct them, we know exactly what to focus on.”

Kekana captained Sundowns during their most dominant era and was part of the team that claimed their first Champions League title in 2016 under Pitso Mosimane, defeating Egyptian giants Zamalek 3-1 on aggregate.

Sundowns will hold the upper hand heading into Saturday’s clash. However, as demonstrated in the loss to Chiefs, in knockout competitions, history counts for little — the team that executes best on the day usually comes out on top.