Menzi Magubane
Mamelodi Sundowns became the first team in this season’s CAF Champions League to qualify for the last 16 of the competition. Downs beat TP Mazembe 1-0 at Loftus Stadium on Tuesday night to maintain their 100% start in Group B.
The win took them to 12 points after winning all four matches in the group. They also stretched their unbeaten run to 25 games across all competitions this season.
Lebohang Maboe’s first-half goal ensured that Downs will take the group with two more games to spare. The Tshwane side are the only team in Group B to win with Al-Hilal, CR Belouizdad and Mazembe all yet to taste victories.
The other Group B match that played on Tuesday between Al-Hilal and Belouizdad ended in a goalless draw. Al-Hilal and Belouizdad have three points with Mazembe rooted at the bottom with two points.
Sundowns’ next Group B game will be away at Al-Hilal on April 2.
Meanwhile in Angola, Kaizer Chiefs missed a golden opportunity to go into second in Group C with a goalless draw against Petro de Luanda on Tuesday night. The Tricolours were desperate to record their first victory in this season’s group stage and whilst avenging their recent 2-0 defeat to Chiefs in the reverse fixture last week.
Chiefs on the other hand, were keen to boost their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals by securing another win over the Tricolours. But they were wasteful in front of goal and in the end they shared the spoils with the Tricolours, who just got their first points in Group C.
The point in Angola took Amakhosi to five points, which means they remain in third place. Wydad Casablanca remain at the top of the group.
Their goalless draw against Horoya on Tuesday night took them to 10 points. Horoya, on the other hand, remain second with five points.
Amakhosi’s next encounter in the group will be when they host Wydad on April 2. But before that, they have an important date with their arch rivals Orlando Pirates in the Soweto derby this coming Saturday.
Picture source: @Masandawana
