Mamelodi Sundowns To Hold Advantage In CAF Champions League, Despite Stuttering Start In Group C?
Pitso Mosimane CAF
Mamelodi Sundowns may have suffered a slow start in the CAF Champions League group stages but they will return to action in July with the odds arguably in their favour. Read: Bucs Downs Stars On Coach's Nominees For PSL Awards A glance at the Group C standings shows the Brazilians languishing in third with just two points from their opening two matches, leaving them two points adrift of joints leaders Wydad Casablanca and Horoya FC. However, Sundowns' first stalemate came against the defending champions in the opening match, before they were denied victory against Horoya last week when the Guinean outfit struck in the final minutes to force a 2-2 draw. The boost for Pitso Mosimane's men now comes courtesy of the fact the Absa Premiership champions are next in action with back-to-back encounters against rock-bottom AS Togo-Port, who have lost both their opening two matches, conceding five goals in the process. Read: In The Money! How Much Each Absa Premiership Team Earned That also means the current group leaders face each other in successive matches, meaning one or both teams will drop points along the way, paving the path for the Tshwane giants to leapfrog into the qualifying spots. That does, however, rely on Sundowns' ability to see off the struggling Togolese outfit both home and away, starting with the trip to the West African nation on July 17, before the return fixture in South Africa 10 days later. The real struggle for Sundowns may come in the form of the upcoming break between now and the resumption of the group stages, with the Sundowns players in dire need of some rest after a grueling campaign, while the FIFA World Cup also takes centre stage in Russia during June and July, all of which leaves Mosimane needing to find a balance between time away from the game and retaining his squad's match fitness. Click here to view the fixtures for the remaining CAF Champions League group stages
