Sundowns take huge step towards CAF Champions League semis

Mamelodi Sundowns have one foot in the semifinals of the 2024-25 CAF Champions League after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Esperance de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday.

The Brazilians will travel to the second leg of their quarterfinal in Tunisia on April 9 having secured a crucial win through marksman Peter Shalulile’s superb 54th-minute finish.

It is a slender lead, though, and the Brazilians will need to work hard in the away leg to preserve it. Yet if the tightness of the opening 90 minutes of the open tie is anything to go by, Downs have it in them to defend the single-goal lead at the 60,000-seat Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi. 

Sundowns registered their first win over Esperance after five attempts, engineered by coach Miguel Cardoso, who led the Tunisian outfit to the 2024 final in which they lost 1-0 on aggregate to Al Ahly.

Esperance knocked Rhulani Mokwena’s Sundowns out of the semifinals (2-0 on aggregate) on the way to that final. But the Brazilians have an opportunity for revenge if they finish the job away from home next week.

Cardoso made changes to his starting XI, with Grant Kekana, Teboho Mokoena, Lucas Ribeiro, Jayden Adams and Shalulile returning after Sundowns’ previous outing on Friday against Sekhukhune United in a Nedbank Cup fixture.

Those players replaced Matías Esquivel, Zuko Mdunyelwa, Terrence Mashego, Neo Maema and Arthur Sales, who got rare starting opportunities in last week’s Cup win.

Esperance coach Maher Kenzari went with his tried and tested performers including Bechir Ben Saïd, Mohamed Belaili, Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida, Abdramane Konaté and Bafana Bafana star Elias Mokwana.

Downs’ attention was on the dangerous attacker Mokwana, who was kept quiet by Bafana right-back teammate Khuliso Mudau.

The tense encounter was goalless at the break, but Shalulile then beat goalkeeper Said with a close-range finish after a delightful attacking move that involved Ribeiro and Adams.

From central midfield, Ribeiro launched a wonderful long-range pass into the box and it landed on the head of Adams, who laid it on for Shalulile to do the rest.

Cardoso made changes after the break to solidify the team, with Divine Lunga and Sales replacing Aubrey Modiba and Thapelo Morena in defence and midfield.

In the closing stages, the coach parked the bus with the introduction of defensive midfielder Bathusi Aubaas, on for Adams in the heart of the midfield, as Esperance pushed for the crucial away goal.

Due to the second-half changes, Downs played without a striker as Sales, normally a centre-forward, was deployed wide while Ribeiro and Thapelo Maseko also dropped deep to help in midfield.

A highly competitive matchup ended with a scuffle near the Esperance bench as tempers boiled over, but Sundowns kept their focus to maintain the vital lead.