Mamelodi Sundowns has advanced to the lucrative round of the continent’s biggest club competition for the eighth time in a row after qualifying for the group stage of the African Champions League.
Sundowns defeated Bumamura of Burundi 2-0 in Atteridgeville in the second leg of their second-round match on Saturday to win 6-0 on the overall score and advance to this week’s group stage draw, which begins next month.
Even if the beginning of their winning streak in 2016 was accidental, Sundowns pounced on the chance and are now a mainstay among the top teams on the continent.
The unidentified Idrissa Traore is revered in the club’s legend. He was the Mali immigrant playing for AS Vita Club in the DR Congo for the 2016 Champions League’s early rounds, a fact that was only made known after the groups had been set. Sundowns, whom they had defeated in the third round, took the place of the Congolese club after they were expelled from the competition. Pitso Mosimane’s squad had further good fortune when Entente Setif supporters rioted after Sundowns led them 2-0 away and they were also booted out, adding to their good fortune. To win the group, the Brazilians had to defeat Enyimba and Zamalek, whom they defeated 2-1 in Cairo. Then, a close victory over Zesco United followed Sundowns won the African championship after a stunning victory over Zamalek in the final and in the semifinals.
Despite repeated group stage appearances, they haven’t been able to get to the final since.
When the group stage was increased to 16 teams in 2017, Wydad Casablanca defeated Sundowns in the quarterfinals on penalties, ending Sundowns’ championship defense.
In 2018, they had the easiest group ever, although they struggled to defeat newcomers AS Togo-Port and were eliminated after they lost to Horoya on Guinea at home on the last matchday.
The Champions League’s structure remained the same the next season, but the calendar-year dates were swapped out for an August-May schedule. The 5-0 victory in Atteridgeville in the first leg of the quarterfinal remains one of the best days for South African football. Sundowns advanced to the last eight with a difficult draw against Al Ahly of Egypt, and they were given little chance. The fact that they fell to Wydad in the semifinals just added to their devastation. Sundowns finished the group in the 2019–20 season undefeated and with their greatest total of points to date, 14 out of a possible 18. They were victorious in USMA in Algeria and all three times at home without giving up. Despite all the potential, they stuttered to a halt in the quarterfinals as Al Ahly reminded them of their superiority.
The next season, Sundowns breezed through the group stage in record time and, although still having two games left on their schedule, had already qualified for the next round after four straight wins. Due to the Covid epidemic, Sundowns of Brazil were forced to play Chabab Belouizdad of Algeria in Dar-es-Salaam, where they were defeated 5-1, setting a group stage road record. South Africans were barred from entering Algeria by the authorities. However, they failed to win the return rubber at Loftus, letting up on the throttle and ruining their nearly flawless run. They faced former coach Pitso Mosimane and Al Ahly again in the quarterfinals and lost 3-1 overall. In 2022, Sundowns lost to Petro Atletico from Angola in the quarterfinals despite setting a record for the most points (16 out of 18 ) in the group phase while last season lost agonisingly to Wydad on the away goals rule in the semis.
The Pretoria team is by far the most skilled South African club competing in the Champions League, although seven clubs in all have represented the nation during the group stage of the competition since it was first established in 1997.
Awoniyi is identified by Aina as one of Forest’s main players.
Pirates have four times qualified, but finished last in 2019. They finished second in 2013 and won the Champions Cup in 1995, when it was still merely a two-legged knockout competition.
Kaizer Chiefs have only ever reached the group stage once, in 2021, and stunned everyone by making it all the way to the final despite a Fifa transfer embargo.
The other Premier Soccer League teams to advance to the group stage are Manning Rangers (1998), SuperSport United (2004), Ajax Cape Town (2005), and AmaZulu (2022). The group phase was increased to 16 teams in 2017.
This season, the group stage will begin significantly earlier in November and last until March, with a break for the Ivory Coast’s hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations finals from January 13 to February 11.
While they must cover their own expenses, clubs that qualify this season earn a minimum of US$700 000 (R13.3 million).
