Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has suggested that they prefer playing second-legs at home despite a bad record in the last few seasons ahead of their MTN8 clash against Kaizer Chiefs.
The Brazilians will face Amakhosi in the semi-final first-leg away, which could be seen as an advantage, because they will play the second-leg at home knowing what kind of result they need to qualify for the final.
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However, that scenario of playing the second-legs at home has not worked for the Tshwane giants where it matters the most in the last few seasons, as they were eliminated at this stage by Orlando Pirates in the last campaign, after they only managed a goalless draw in the first-leg away and were hammered 3-0 in the second-leg in their home fixture.
Sundowns could also only manage a scoreless draw in their CAF Champions League semi-final first-leg away to Wydad Casablanca and were knocked out on away goals after a 2-2 draw in the second-leg at home.
A season before that, Masandawana were also booted out of the CAF Champions League in the quarter-finals by Petro de Luanda, where they lost 2-1 away in the first-leg and drew the second-leg 1-1 on home soil and were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate.
Mokwena says two-legged games are very tricky but given their experience, a lot of what happens in the first-leg influences which team progresses to the next round.
"So much of our experience in two-legged affairs tells us that a lot of what happens in the second-leg is determined by what happens in the first-leg, regardless of whether it's home or away," Mokwena said in a press conference.
"When we won the (CAF) Champions League, the advantage of playing at home first worked for us but last season for example in the Champions League we felt comfortable playing away first and then coming home.
"But when you look at two seasons ago when we lost to Petro (de Luanda) in the quarter-finals, that advantage meant nothing, because of the result first away from home.
READ: Crucial Three Months For Ntsabeleng In MLS"You could say the same thing about the MTN8 semi-finals last season (against Pirates) and maybe the semi-finals of the (CAF) Champions League against Wydad last season.
"So, a lot of how we approach the second-leg, a lot of what we do in the return fixture at home of course is determined by a lot of factors," he added.
The MTN8 semi-final first-leg clash between the Brazilians and the Glamour Boys will take place on Saturday afternoon at FNB Stadium.
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