Sundowns take on revenge seeking Al Ahly

Head coach Pitso Mosimane of Mamelodi Sundowns

Saturday Feb 29, 2020. 10:00

Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns will renew their rivalry when they meet in an 2019-20 CAF Champions League quarterfinal first-leg clash at Cairo Stadium in Cairo on Saturday evening.

Kick-off is at 18h00.

The two teams locked horns at the same stage last season, with the Brazilians running out convincing 5-1 aggregate winners.

Sundowns beat the Egyptian giants 5-0 in the first-leg, duly condemning the record eight-time Champions League champions to one of their worst defeats ever before a 1-0 loss in the reverse fixture.

Pitso Mosimane’s men booked their place in the knockout stages with an unbeaten run of group stage results to top Group C. Al Ahly finished second behind Etoile du Sahel in Group B to set up a rematch against the 2016 champions.

Al Ahly will be desperate to make amends for what transpired last year and are in good form to do just that having won all 16 of their Egyptian Premier League games this season. Mosimane is mindful of that fact and expects a different Red Devils team in both Cairo and in Atteridgeville next weekend.

“It’s a tough game for us, with big expectations, of course, but we understand the mood and mentality from last year’s results. We know it’s not going to be the same,” said Mosimane.

“We are facing Ahly at the wrong time. They’ve been winning everything here – if I’m not mistaken it’s been 15 or 16 games [winning streak] in the league.

“I think they’ve scored more than 40 goals, conceded maybe less than five, and even Real Madrid or Barcelona don’t have such a record.

“So, that’s why we are very cautious, tread carefully and we respect their space. That’s where we are.

Mosimane added: “I don’t know where the pressure is, but if it’s on us to repeat the same result then it’s not possible. That happened [5-0] once, it’s history, it will never happen again.”