The might of Egypt stands in the way of the team from Mamelodi
Ntuthuko Maphumulo
They came, they saw, but can Sundowns conquer Africa by being crowned Champions League champions and winning $1-million?
The answer will be revealed after 180 minutes the first 90 minutes of which take place at Loftus on Saturday as Sundowns host the African club of the century, Al Ahly.
The Egyptians are out to win the Champions League for the third time to match their hat-trick of victories in the African Cup Winners’ Cup. The latter trophy, also known as the Mandela Cup, was pocketed last week by Kaizer Chiefs. Sundowns will be hoping to match this feat by winning a continental trophy of their own.
Al Ahly who won their league match 2-0 against Mansoura before coming to South Africa have been the dominant force in Confederation of African Football (CAF) tournaments in the past few decades.
The Al Ahly coaching staff have been monitoring the three-time South African league champions.
Sundowns’ management was furious that the Premier Soccer League allowed the match against Bush Bucks won 2-0 by Sundowns to be televised, saying the Egyptians had already sent spies to see how they play. But come Saturday we’ll see whether the Egyptian spies did their homework.
Sundowns will be looking to strikers Simba Marumo and Carlo Scott to bang in the goals. Marumo has already scored two goals in the Champions League, while Scott will be hoping to transfer his recent vein of league scoring to the big stage.
Sundowns will look to free-kick specialist Bennet Mnguni if they get a chance within scoring range. He netted from a dead-ball situation against Nigerian side Julius Berger in the 2-0 group stage victory.
Marumo has the all predatory instincts of a natural striker, but he must learn not to be selfish and pass if a team-mate is in a better position to score. The youngster was part of the South African under-23 team that made it to the Olympics in Sydney last year. He has also had stints of club football in Bulgaria and Italy.
Chiefs failed to sign the unpolished gem and Marumo was snapped up by Sundowns. He announced his arrival in the premiership with a great goal against Cosmos, and will be hoping to earn a continental medal.
Al Ahly are unlikely to be completely on the defensive in this away game, with strikers Mohamed Farouk and Khaled Bibo expecting good service from mid-fielder Sayed Abdel Hafiez who has scored three goals in the Champions League himself. Top defender Ibrahim Saed is to sit out this game due to injury.
Goal-scoring has been a bit of a problem for both clubs, with the highest number of goals in a game being the 3-1 Al Ahly put past Petro Atletico in the early stages of the tournament. Sundowns have not scored more than two in any match.
If the on-the-field action were not enough, an off-the-field stand-off has also coloured the game.
Sundowns’s management seems to be unsympathetic about the plight of Al Ahly players observing the Muslim month of Ramadan, who asked for a later kick off to the game.
Sundowns refused and the Egyptians have applied for permission to allow players to eat during their fasting period so as to be at full strength when they meet Sundowns.
This is likely to result in a heated cup game on Saturday and add spice to the return leg in Cairo just before Christmas.
Sundowns must remember that a win at home will not ensure them the cup. After they beat Petro Atletico of Angola at home in the semifinal, they went to Luanda and lost 2-0, resulting in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out. And last year they took a slender home-leg lead to Cte d’Ivoire and got whipped 6-1 by Africa Sport in the semifinals of this competition.
Both clubs had players excused from national duty in their quest to capture the most prestigious club cup in Africa. Sundowns and Al Ahly players missed the recent clash between the two countries and Egypt this week called off a friendly against Nigeria set for December 15, because Al Ahly players were not available.
Sundowns are carrying the hopes of all South Africans to end this year with double continental glory.
This could also help Sundowns make their debut on the world stage in the world club championships. A win for Sundowns would also make the African Super Cup an all-South African affair as the winners take on Kaizer Chiefs.