Mamelodi Sundowns have discovered their Last Eight opponent of the lucrative CAF Champions League.
Sundowns will face Tanzania’s Young Africans in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after the draw was conducted on Tuesday.
CAF CL: Mamelodi Sundowns Discover Last Eight Opponents
Masandawana are through to the last Eight of the premier continental club tournament after finishing their Group A assignments as log leaders with 13 points. Coach Rulani Mokwena’s troops will first travel to the East African country for their first leg assignment before welcoming the Tanzanians in the return leg.
While CAF is yet to announce the venues and dates for the clashes, Sundowns will bank on their experience to qualify for the semi-finals. The Chloorkop-based giants, Sundowns qualified for their sixth successive knockout stages of the Champions League and are aiming to lift their first title since 2016.
CAF CL Full Draw: Sundowns Meet Yanga
The reigning DStv Premiership champions, Sundowns are still focusing on their domestic schedule and their clash against Yanga will come amid their tight fixture schedule.
- Simba SC vs Al Ahly
- TP Mazembe vs Atletico Petro de Luanda
- ES Tunis vs ASEC Mimosa
- Young Africans vs Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns: CAF CL Semi-Final Draw Possibility
The 2016 African champions under coach Pitso Mosimane will target a decent finish this term after reaching the semi-finals last season. Masandawana came close to lifting the coveted trophy but narrowly lost via aggregate to Wydad Casablanca of Morocco on away goal rule.
Should Sundowns progress to the Last Four, they face the possibility of meeting ES Tunis or ASEC Mimosa. Taking a look at Yanga’s progress to the Last Eight, the Tanzanian giants finished second Group with eight points. They claimed two draws, two wins, and as many losses to finish second behind Egyptian Premier League outfit, Al Ahly.
Mamelodi Sundowns in a Tshwane Derby Duel
Meanwhile, Gauteng News reported that Sundowns are now focusing on maintaining their winning run as they meet Tshwane rivals, SuperSport United, in the league on Tuesday night.
Defender Grant Kekana is wary of the three-time PSL champions, SuperSport whom they face at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. The Bafana Bafana defender says the likes of Bradley Grobler, Terrence Dzvukamanja, and Lyle Lakay can cause problems for Sundowns.
“When it comes to derbies, the form doesn’t count for anything,” Kekana said.
“It’s about who wants it the most on the day, so it’s going to be very important that we are switched on from the first whistle until the very end. It’s going to be a tough match, but we are more than ready for it. We know Bradley has been doing quite well, he is scoring a lot of goals, and he is up there with the top goal scorers in the league. There’s Dzjukamanja also with his late runs and Lyle Lakay with his crosses. SuperSport have a lot of threats in a lot of areas, and we will be looking to nullify them so that we don’t give them too many opportunities.”
For Mokwena and his troops, their mission is to secure the league title as soon as possible and focus on the Champions League and the Nedbank Cup.
Masandawana are still unbeaten in the league after playing 17 league matches and meeting coach Gavin Hunt’s side means they will look to keep their record unbroken. Sundowns are fresh from a 2-0 win over Chippa United on Saturday night at Lucas Moripe Stadium, Mokwena speaks about the Tshwane Derby.
“It’s difficult to compare the derbies because the Soweto derby has a lot of history, while the Tshwane derby doesn’t have much history,” Mokwena told the media. “I think in terms of emotions, the rivalry is there. It’s a rivalry, that’s why it’s called the derby.”
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