Mamelodi Sundowns hold a 1-0 lead over Tunisia's Esperance heading into the CAF Champions League semi-final second leg at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday. All 52,000 tickets for the match have sold out within a week. The winner will advance to this year's final.
Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Esperance 1-0 in the first leg semi-final in Tunisia last Sunday. The return fixture takes place on Saturday afternoon at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. This marks the third meeting between the teams in three seasons in the Champions League.
Last season, Sundowns edged Esperance 1-0 on aggregate for revenge. The previous year, Esperance prevailed when Miguel Cardoso coached the Tunisian side. Sundowns coach Cardoso anticipates a tight contest. "It is just 1-0 and both teams have the potential to score in any match," he said. "This is going to be a game of small margins."
Sundowns defender Keegan Johannes emphasised focus. "We got a positive result away from home. But we've already closed that door. We need to focus on the job at hand," he stated. The South African side remains unbeaten in the Champions League over the past two seasons.
Esperance coach Patrice Beaumele remains optimistic. "We have to score if we want to stay alive in this competition," he said. "This is football, anything is possible."
The match kicks off at 3pm and will air live on SABC1.