Held to a 0-0 draw by FC Masar, the Banyana Ba Style of Mamelodi Sundowns face Cameroonian club Lekie on Wednesday 4 November at 15:00 to claim three points. Sundowns will rely in particular on the experienced Andile Dlamini and Lebohang Ramalepe.
Two matches, two 0-0 draws: Group A has started at a cautious pace. Mamelodi Sundowns meet Cameroonian club Lekie on Wednesday 4 November at 15:00 East Africa Time, according to All Football. The Banyana Ba Style were held to a draw by hosts FC Masar, and Lekie drew with FUS Rabat.
For the South African club, the stakes are clear: a win is needed. Head coach Godfrey Sapula, for his part, insists on the need to improve on the first match. Sundowns will rely on their experienced players, including goalkeeper Andile Dlamini, Lebohang Ramalepe and Bambanani Mbane.
A first match to put right
The 0-0 against FC Masar leaves Sundowns without any points of advantage. In this Group A, where the two matches played so far have ended goalless, even a single point already counts.
Sapula makes no secret of his team’s aim: “We are ready for this match, and the objective is to take three points, but that can only come by improving on the performance we had in the first match, and that is what we have worked on,” he said, according to All Football. For the coach, the result will therefore only come with a better display than in the first match.
Experience as a lever
To meet this challenge, Sundowns are counting on a core of experienced players. Goalkeeper Andile Dlamini, Lebohang Ramalepe and Bambanani Mbane are among them, according to All Football.
That backbone will have to answer Lekie, who also drew with FUS Rabat in their first match in the group. Neither Sundowns nor Lekie have won yet in this pool.
Group A waits
The other match of the day pits Egypt’s FC Masar against Morocco’s FUS Rabat on Wednesday at 18:00 East Africa Time, three hours after the kick-off of Sundowns – Lekie, according to All Football.
For Sundowns, the objective comes down to one number: three points. A win would let them take sole lead of the group, at least until the result of Masar – Rabat. If they are held again, the pool would remain open, with every team keeping its chance.