KHULISO Mudau of Mamelodi Sundowns challenged by Mohamed Ben Hamida of Esperance Tunis during the CAF Champions League 2023/24 1st leg semifinal at Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi in Rades on Saturday. | BackpagePix
MAMELODI Sundowns are going to have to be much sharper and incisive on Friday if they are to realise their dream of reaching the CAF Champions League final.
The South African champions will host the second leg of their semi-final clash against Esperance of Tunisia at Loftuts Versfeld on the back of a 1-0 first leg defeat away in Rades on Saturday night.
Brazilian Yan Sasse scored on 41 minutes of an evenly-contested affair that served to confirm the two teams’ impressive defensive record that saw both being breached in just one of their 10 matches prior to them reaching the competition’s penultimate stage.
Sasse beat the offside trap to rush onto a fantastic pass by his Brazil compatriot Rodrigo Rodrigues and managed to chip it past the advancing Ronwen Williams for what turned out to be the solitary goal of the match.
It is a result that leaves Sundowns having to win at home, and though they have been fantastic at what they’ve come to call “Fortress Lofuts” such was the impressive way Esperance shut them out that Rulani Mokwena’s men are going to play out of their skins to prevail.
They were restricted to a just two chances Saturday night, with Mothobi Mvala’s shot from range late in the match their best one – the defender forcing a superb save out of 20-year-old goalkeeper
Earlier on Thembinkosi Lorch had wasted a glorious chance to equalise by blasting the ball over when faced with just the goalkeeper after being sent through by Lucas Riberiro Costa.
They may have enjoyed the ball possession, but Sundowns just did not have the answer to Esperance’s solid defensive block that hardly lost shape and never looked threatened.
There was a half chance on 59 minutes following some sweet touches but Themba Zwane saw his shot blocked by the young goalkeeper.
The first half had been similarly played, Sundowns dominating ball possession and Esperance pleased to just let them have the ball so long as they were not getting anywhere near the goals.
Sundowns though did manage to have a sniff and actually had the ball in the net via Zwane after he was sent through by Lorch, but the latter had received possession in an offside position and the goal was correctly not allowed.
Prior to scoring, Esperance had threatened but hit the upright and then had an attempt cleared off the line.
Rodriques’ shot from outside the box through the Sundowns defence ricocheted off the root of the upright with Williams a beaten man and shortly thereafter Divine Lunga headed the ball of the line as Esperance piled on the pressure.
It is a goal that Esperance are going to come to Pretoria to defend, and they have shown just how good they are in keeping a clean sheet – the Tunisians having only been breached just once now in 11 Champions League matches this campaign.
It makes Sundowns’ task of making the final all that tougher, and they will need to bring their A game to Loftus on Friday.