Sundowns take huge step towards semis, but have work to do in Tunis

Mamelodi Sundowns took a huge step towards qualification for the semifinals of the 2024-25 Champions League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Esperance de Tunis at Loftus on Tuesday.

The Brazilians will travel to the second leg of their quarterfinal in Tunisia on April 9 with an advantage after they secured a crucial win through marksman Peter Shalulile's superb 54th-minute finish.

It is a slender one, though, and the Brazilians will need to work hard in the away leg to preserve it. Yet, if the tightness of the opening 90 minutes of the tie are anything to go by, Downs have it in them to defend the single-goal lead at the 60,000-seat Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi. 

Sundowns registered their first win over Esperance after five attempts and, interestingly, the victory was engineered by coach Miguel Cardoso, who led the Tunisian outfit to last year's final where they lost 1-0 on aggregate to Al Ahly.

Esperance knocked Rulani Mokwena's Sundowns out the semifinals (2-0 on aggregate) on the way to that final. The Brazilians have an opportunity to avenge that defeat if they finish the job away from home next week.

Cardoso made changes to his XI with Grant Kekana, Teboho Mokoena, Lucas Ribeiro, Jayden Adams and Shalulile returning to the starting line-up from their last outing on Friday in a 1-0 Nedbank Cup quarterfinal win at home to Sekhukhune United.

Those players replaced Matías Esquivel, Zuko Mdunyelwa, Terrence Mashego, Neo Maema and Arthur Sales, who got rare starting opportunities in last week's win.

Esperance coach Maher Kenzari went with his tried and tested, including crucial performer Ben Said, Mohamed Belaili, Mohamed Hamaida, Abderame Konate and Bafana Bafana star Elias Mokwana.

Downs' attention was on Mokwana, but the dangerous attacker was kept quiet by Bafana right-back teammate Khuliso Mudau.

The tense encounter went to the break with no goals on the scoreboard and after a first half where there were not enough notable talking points in the opening half as two strong sides tried to figure each other out.

Sundowns opened the scoring when Shalulile beat goalkeeper Said with a close-range finish after a delightful attacking move that involved Ribeiro and Adams.

From central midfield, Ribeiro launched a wonderful long-range pass into the box and it landed on the head of Adams, who laid it on the path of Shalulile to do the rest.

Cardoso made changes after the break to solidify the team with Divine Lunga and Sales replacing Aubrey Modiba and Thapelo Morena in defence and midfield.

In the closing stages, the coach closed the game with the introduction of defensive midfielder Bathusi Aubaas, on for Adams in the heart of the midfield, as Esperance pushed for the crucial away goal.

With all the second-half changes, Downs played without a striker as Sales, normally a centre-forward, was deployed wide while Ribeiro and Thapelo Maseko also dropped deep to help in the midfield.

A highly competitive matchup ended with a fight near the Esperance bench as tempers boiled over, but Sundowns kept focus to the end to record a vital lead they can take with to them to the second leg in Tunis.