By Michael Madyira
Al Ahly have taken over from Wydad Casablanca as Mamelodi Sundowns’ biggest rivals in the CAF Champions League.
A trend had emerged where Masandawana would meet Wydad every season but now it’s Al Ahly who have become their nemesis.
Masandawana and the Cairo giants resume their rivalry in Group B of this season’s Champions League campaign.
It is now a fourth consecutive season meeting the Egyptians whom they also clashed with in last term’s group phase.
The two sides confronted each other in the quarter-finals of the 2019/20 campaign after they had also met in the last eight of the previous season.
“Of course, over the years this has now become a very big fixture between Sundowns and Al Ahly and both home and away it is going to be very strategic,” said Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena as he reacted to the latest draw.
“[It is going to be] very tactical and we expect that, particularly because we know how Al Ahly always seem to play against Sundowns.”
On the six occasions these continental giants have collided in recent years, Sundowns have won three times, including last season’s back-to-back victories and the 5-0 humiliation of Al Ahly in April 2019.
The North Africans recorded two victories while the other match ended in a draw.
Before the newly-found rivalry with Al Ahly, Sundowns were involved in 10 clashes with Wydad Casablanca between 2017 and 2020.
It had become one of the biggest fixtures in CAF’s premier club competition.
But it was the Moroccans who had the upper hand during that period, registering four wins against the Brazilians’ three while the three other matches ended in a share of the spoils.
After beating Al Ahly twice and reaching the quarter-finals with two group games to play last season, Sundowns disappointed in the last eight where they lost to Angolan giants Petro Atletico.
This time around, they are hoping to reach the final and win their first champions league title since 2016.
“The Champions League over the years now has always become such a difficult competition, a difficult competition for everybody and regardless of who we have picked,” said Mokwena.
Pictured above: Al Ahly taking on Mamelodi Sundowns
Image source: Sowetan — Weam Mostafa/BackpagePix
