A reassuring statistic for Mamelodi Sundowns supporters ahead of Saturday’s second leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final against Esperance is that they have contested 38 interclub knockout fixtures at home for the second leg, suffering defeat only once.
However, a closer look might induce some unease among fans. The sole team to triumph over Sundowns at home in a second leg is none other than Esperance, who achieved this during the semi-finals in 2024 under the management of the current Sundowns coach, Miguel Cardoso.
Sundowns enter the match against the Tunisians with a narrow 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Rades, but the visitors will certainly remember their recent history-making achievement.
On that occasion, Esperance held a 1-0 lead going into the second leg in Pretoria, ultimately replicating that scoreline thanks to Raed Bouchniba’s goal in the 57th minute, who has since transferred to Monastir, a Tunisian club.
The 38 knockout ties in which Sundowns have played the second leg at home span the Champions League, the CAF Confederation Cup, the African Football League, CAF Cup, and the CAF Cup Winners’ Cup, dating back to their continental competition debut in 1994.
They have emerged victorious in 27 of these matches, alongside 10 draws and that one solitary defeat.
Some monumental wins have been recorded along the way, all happening in the competition’s early rounds before reaching the group stages.
In the 2019/20 season, they triumphed over Seychellois side Cote d’Or with a staggering 11-1 scoreline in the second round, and in the 2022/23 season, they defeated their compatriots La Passe 8-1, with the ‘away’ leg of that tie, also held in Pretoria, ending 7-0 in favour of Sundowns.
Sundowns have faced North African teams in eight of these knockout ties, winning three, recording four draws, and suffering that defeat to Esperance.
During this period, they have netted 99 goals while conceding just 19, putting them within striking distance of the century mark this weekend.
This serves as a testament to Sundowns’ dominance at home, yet their one exception comes against a team that has proven capable of clinching victory in Pretoria, which could sway the outcome on Saturday.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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