As Mamelodi Sundowns prepare for their biggest game of the season so far, Soccer Laduma looks at five reasons why they have what it takes to overcome Wydad Casablanca in the African Football League (AFL) on Sunday.
Sundowns are 2-1 down going into the second leg clash at Loftus Stadium and will have bad memories of the CAF Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Wydad last season. The match on Sunday gives them a perfect opportunity to erase the memories of last season and become the first club to win the AFL.
Here are five reasons why the club could win the tournament.
Clean home record
Not only have Sundowns not lost a game at home in the inaugural AFL, the Tshwane giants have also not conceded a goal. This is what's going to be important going into the second leg. They are solid on home soil and certainly have the potential to keep Wydad out. The only thing they need to make sure to do is find the back of the net, which they can most certainly do.
Precious away goal
They may not have put Wydad under too much pressure in the first leg, but Sundowns did well enough to get themselves an away goal, which could go a long way in securing them the title. All they need is a 1-0 victory to lift the trophy and collect the fat cheque, so that away goal will no doubt come in handy. Sundowns usually know how to plan well for some of these big matches, so this is where they are going to need to come to the party to get over the line.
Revenge
Revenge should never really be the motivation, but Sundowns will no doubt have last season's Champions League match in mind when they take on Wydad on Sunday. The semi-final exit cut deep for Sundowns players and their technical team, so while they are not likely to talk about it much, chances are that they want to beat Wydad to finally get over what happened a few months ago. The chance to make history will certainly spur Sundowns on to win the game.
Possible Shalulile return
The Siya crew understands that Namibian international Peter Shalulile could potentially be back for the club for the second leg tie, giving them a much-needed boost in attack. During the first leg clash, Sundowns did not put the Wydad defence under too much pressure and it was clear that they were missing the presence of their dangerous marksman Shalulile. Should he return on Sunday, he will definitely give the Wydad defenders a lot to think about. He is the type of player who could win Sundowns the game and the competition.
READ: Sundowns Assessed: Can They Top The Greek League?
Ribeiro back as well?
Brazilian attacker, who was in fine form for Masandawana before taking a knock a few weeks ago, could also make a return to the side, giving Rulani Mokwena enough options to find a chink in the Wydad armour. Ribeiro has combined well with Themba Zwane and Shalulile and has the potential to win the game for the club.
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