Mamelodi Sundowns’ 2024/25 season has had its fair share of curve-balls.
And even though they have so far managed to navigate through unfamiliar territory, their dominance in domestic and continental football has had a sprinkle of inconsistency as they prepare to continue their CAF Champions League journey.
A large part of their up-and-down form has been largely due to the chopping and changing in the technical team in the last six months, and as a result, their last two crunch fixtures in the Champions League could have a story to tell.
Results will be paramount, not only because they would avoid facing another long wait for a continental crown, but if successful, it will give a huge tick to their decision to hand marching orders to their former coaches, even though there is still a lot of football to be played.
The Brazilians will next face winless Maniema Union at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa tomorrow (3pm kick-off) in what will be the penultimate Group B match for both sides, with Sundowns having a two-point lead over the DR Congo side.
🇿🇦➡️🇨🇩#Sundowns #TotalEnergiesCAFCL #RabatsenaGape pic.twitter.com/qeaT3yRot3
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) January 9, 2025
AS FAR Rabat (eight points) are on pole and remain the only unbeaten side in the group.
They will be hot favourites to progress through to the next round, as the battle for second place will intensify with this weekend’s results potentially echoing beyond the final whistle.
Fresh off their costly 1-0 loss against Raja Casablanca in Morocco this past weekend, Sundowns are currently in second position on five points after four matches, and they trail the log leaders by three points with the same amount of games played.
The former champions find themselves needing to win both their remaining fixtures to ensure they progress through to the quarter-finals.
And unlike in times gone by, they will have to do it the hard way with a relatively new coach that has done fairly well for a start, but could need to be at his level best to keep their hopes of a second title alive.
The trip to Casablanca left scars deeper than the scoreboard, as Miguel Cardoso did not only suffer his first defeat since taking over from Manqoba Mngqithi, but he will make the trip to Kinshasa without the services of two key players, Bathusi Aubaas and Khuliso Mudau, who were both red-carded in the weekend clash against the Green Eagles.
Preparing for Saturday 💪#Sundowns #TotalEnergiesCAFCL #RabatsenaGape pic.twitter.com/IhynCMIZTa
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) January 8, 2025
FAR Rabat have outperformed every prediction, and they have left a trail of awe so far in their campaign.
Many on the naked eye would have pinned both Sundowns and Raja to be runaway contenders for the top two spots in this group.
But as the tables have turned, victory for FAR Rabat against Raja could swing things back into the Brazilians’ favour.
Maniema’s winless run could also be deceiving, as through their last place, they have only suffered one loss.
They are rooted at the bottom of the standings largely because they haven’t converted at least one of their draws into a win.
A trip to the DR Congo has never been easy, but to ensure a safe passage to the quarter-finals, a win for Cardoso after their slip-up in Casablanca will go a long way to restoring order and avoiding any difficult permutations in the final round. | Independent Media Sport