South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns will host Espérance de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday April 1, in the first leg of a CAF Champions League quarter-final clash of African titans.
Sundowns sit top of South Africa‘s Betway Premiership, with Espérance leading Tunisia’s Ligue Professionnelle 1. Both teams have won this tournament in recent years – Sundowns in 2016 and Espérance for the fourth time in 2019, in addition to previous wins in 1994, 2011 and 2018.
The hosts for the first leg – who won the 2023 African Football League – finished second in CAF Champions League Group B this season behind AS FAR, but ahead of Raja Casablanca and Maniema Union. Espérance won Group D, finishing above Pyramids, Sagrada Esperança and Djoliba.
Sundowns head into this off the back of a 1-0 extra time win over Sekhukhune United in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals. Midfielder Jayden Adams scored the winner and his impressive form for club and country is a positive for Sundowns, but fatigue may be a concern although Miguel Cardoso has done his best to rotate Masandawana’s massive squad.
Sundowns will come up against a South African player in Elias Mokwana, who has three goals and two assists in six CAF Champions League appearances this season for Espérance.
CAF still uses the away goals rule even though it has been scrapped by UEFA, so a goal on the road could be very useful for Espérance ahead of the second leg in Tunisia on April 8.
For Sundowns, this is an opportunity to gain revenge on a team which beat them 2-0 on aggregate – 1-0 both at home and away – in last season’s semi-finals.
Key details:
Date: Tuesday, April 1 at 3:00 PM CAT (1:00 PM GMT, 9:00 AM ET)
Venue: Loftus Versfeld
How to watch: The match is available on SuperSport.
Team news:
Espérance have been without captain and centre-back Yassine Meriah since November due to a cruciate ligament injury that is expected to keep him out until May.
Holding midfielder Roger Aholou has been out of action for around two months, as has attacking midfielder Mohamed Mouhli, with their injury return dates unclear.
Aubrey Modiba withdrew from the Bafana Bafana squad due to his wife giving birth and has been on paternity leave. It is unclear when the Mamelodi Sundowns left-back will return to action.
Expected lineups:
Mamelodi Sundowns
LB Thapelo Morena | CB Grant Kekana | CB Lucas Suárez | RB Khuliso Mudau
CM Marcelo Allende | CM Teboho Mokoena | CM Jayden Adams
LW Peter Shalulile | ST Iqraam Rayners | RW Lucas Ribeiro Costa
Espérance
GK Bechir Ben Said
LB Ayman Ben Mohamed | CB Koussay Smiri | CB Mohamed Amine Tougai | RB Elyas Bouzaiene
CM Abdramane Konaté | CM Houssem Tka | CM Onuche Ogbelu
LW Elias Mokwana | ST Achref Jabri | RW Mohamed Youcef Belaïli
Stats:
Espérance have scored 10 more league goals than any other team in Tunisia’s top flight (47 in 25 games), while Sundowns are the Betway Premiership’s top scorers by 20 goals, having scored 51 in 23.
Mamelodi Sundowns have failed to score in three consecutive games against Espérance.