Not long to wait for Mamelodi Sundowns to learn CAF Champions League fate

Mamelodi Sundowns only have 10 more days to wait before discovering who they will face in the quarter-finals of this season’s CAF Champions League.

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As winners of Group B, Mamelodi Sundowns will face one of the runners-up in the four groups.

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However!

Mamelodi Sundowns cannot face the second-placed team in their own group, CR Belouizdad, who beat the Brazilians 2-0 in their final clash in Pretoria.

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That leaves just THREE possible quarter-final foes for Masandawana: Al Ahly of Egypt, Algeria’s MC Alger … or a mouth-watering all-South African showdown against Kaizer Chiefs!

The draw to determine who will face who in the last 8 will be conducted on Friday, April 30, 2021.

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As the “seeded” team, Mamelodi Sundowns will be on the road for the first leg in one of Cairo, Algiers or down the road in Johannesburg on the weekend of 14-15 May with the return leg in Pretoria a week later on 21-22 May.

A match against Al Ahly would pit Mamelodi Sundowns against former coach Pitso Mosimane and would certainly be the tie of the round.

Al Ahly may have finished second in their group, but did beat group winners Simba SC in their final match. They also scored 11 goals in total – the most out of every team in the last 16.

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Meanwhile, a clash against MC Algers would be something of a “dream draw” for the Brazilians as the Algerian side weren’t impressive at all in their group, scoring only four goals in six matches.

They scrapped through on the back of two wins, three draws and a lone defeat.

Lastly, a clash against Kaizer Chiefs would bring the country to a standstill. It would guarantee Mzansi a team in the semi-finals, but who that team would be may be a toss-up so familiar are both sides with one another.

Despite the long-haul flight to Algeria being a schlep, Mamelodi Sundowns will most certainly be holding thumbs for MC Algers’ name to come out of the hat.

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