If Mamelodi Sundowns are to retain the CAF Champions League title that they won last year, there are 12 crucial games that they will need to perform in.
Pitso Mosimane’s side managed to avoid games in the qualifying rounds of the tournament due to their success last year, and made it past Uganda’s KCCA in order to make the group stages for the second consecutive year.
After being drawn against Ethiopia’s Saint-George, AS Vita from the DRC, and two-time African champions, Esperance de Tunis, from Tunisia, Mosimane will not have an easy ride into the knockout stages.
However, given the players will be buoyed by their success in last year’s edition, and will not be scared of anybody going into the first game in two weeks’ time.
The Brazilians get the group stage underway at home against Saint-George, ending it at home against AS Vita in July, and success could see them face either Al-Ahly, Wydad Casablanca, Zanaco or Coton Sport in the quarterfinals.
Sundowns’ CAF fixture list is as follows:
Group Stage
Sundowns v Saint-George – 12th-14th May
AS Vita v Sundowns – 23rd-24th May
Sundowns v Esperance – 2nd-4th June
Esperance v Sundowns – 20th-21st June
Saint-George v Sundowns – 30th June-2nd July
Sundowns v AS Vita – 7th-9th July
Knockouts
Quarterfinals (v Group D) – 8th-10th September/15th-17th September
Semifinals – 29th September-1st October/13th-15th October
Final – 27th-29th October/3rd-5th November
