WITH sold-out sign boards all over, Mamelodi Sundowns’ are aware they need not disappoint their fans on Saturday afternoon.
They face one of the trickiest side’s in Africa- Esperance for the second-leg of the CAF Championship League semi-final, at the Loftus Stadium, Pretoria.
Kick-off 3pm.
Downs’ took early advantage by winning 1-0 against the Tunisian outfit, in the first round.
According to CAF, the pre-match facts highlighted that there is very little to separate the two teams, and both teams enter the game holding strong records.
Many of the recent games between the two sides have been determined by narrow margins, and you’d have to go back to 2017 for the last time either side scored more than one goal against the other (Esperance defeated Sundowns 2-1 in June 2017).
Looking at some of the key facts for both sides ahead of the game, Masandawana are chasing their fourth final in their history, while the Taraji are targeting a ninth finale, the second-most in Champions League history behind Al Ahly (14).
Both sides have met in the knockout stage of the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns.
The Pretoria club will be eyeing the second consecutive final.
But first, they have to deal with the stubborn Esperance, who are no small feat when coming to finals, either.
Both Downs and Esperance will be meeting for the 12th time in CAF Champs encounter.
According to local club, all tickets for the game have been sold-out.
The next chapter of the Mamelodi Sundowns vs Esperance book will be determined on Saturday when the two teams meet for the 12th time in the CAF Champions League.
