LOCAL club Sundowns took a giant step towards the second round of the African Champions League with a 2-1 victory over Telecom Wanderers of Malawi in Blantyre on Sunday. Nigerian striker Raphael Chukwu put the visitors ahead after 22 minutes of a first-round, first-leg match watched by a capacity 40000 crowd at the Chichiri Stadium. Kenny Niemach added a second goal for Sundowns after 67 minutes before Hendrix Banda, who once played in the South African Premier Soccer League, reduced the arrears by converting a penalty kick with four minutes left. The return match will be staged on March 28 with the overall winners advancing to meet Saint-Louisienne of Reunion or DSA of Madagascar for a place in the mini-league second phase.