South Africa’s three clubs competing in the Caf Champions League and Confederation Cup group stages now know their fate after the draw for the expanded four-pool format was made this week.
Times Media Digital takes a look at the opponents of defending African champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the Champions League‚ and SuperSport United and Platinum Stars in the Confed‚ and at the SA clubs’ prospects of success.
AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
AS VITA CLUB (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO)
Previous competition wins (1): 1973
Previous meetings:
1994 (Champions League): 1-2 (a); 3-2 (h)
2009 (Confederation Cup): 2-2 (h); 0-1 (a)
2016 (Champions League): 0-1 (a); 2-1 (h)
Match dates: 23-24 May (away); 7-9 July (home)
There will be needle in Sundowns meeting AS Vita Club again this year. Downs were knocked out of the competition by the DR Congo club last season on the away goals rule‚ but were reinstated when their opponents expelled for being found guilty of fielding an ineligible player in the earlier rounds.
Vita were stung by a sense of injustice. They had‚ in fact‚ never lost a tie to Sundowns in their three previous meetings down the years‚ the first all the way back in 1994.
Sundowns’ first away trip in this year’s pool phase will be to Kinshasa in late May.
ESPERANCE (TUNISIA)
Previous competition wins (2): 1994‚ 2011
Previous meetings:
2000 (Champions League): 2-3 (a); 2-0 (h)
2001 (Champions League): 0-0 (h); 0-0 (a)
Match dates: 2-4 June (home); 20-21 June (away)
Esperance will provide a difficult away day for Sundowns‚ but the Pretoria team will at least find the excellent conditions in Tunis to their liking‚ both on and off pitch.
Esperance are two-time winners of the competition‚ their last victory coming in 2011‚ while they have also been four-time losing finalists‚ showing their pedigree in African competition.
Sundowns have met Esperance on four occasions‚ with a win apiece and two draws.
SAINT GEORGE (ETHIOPIA)
Previous competition wins (0): None
Previous meetings: None
Match dates: 12-14 May (home); 30 June-2 July (away)
St George are the minnows in a powerful pool‚ but they should not be underestimated‚ especially away from home.
Sundowns will open their pool stage campaign by hosting the Ethiopians in mid-May‚ and have their penultimate game of this phase of the competition away in Addis Ababa.
It is another comfortable trip to a notable African capital city against a club who are appearing in the pool stages for the first time.
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP
SUPERSPORT UNITED
CF MOUNANA (GABON)
Previous competition wins (0): None
Previous meetings: None
Match dates: 23-24 May (away); 7-9 July (home)
Centre de Formation de Mounana are a relatively new club having been formed in 2006‚ claiming their first Gabonese domestic league title within six years‚ a feat they repeated in the 2015/16 season.
They have so far battled to make an impact on the continental stage though‚ and are in the pool stages for the first time‚ their place confirmed with a fine 2-1 aggregate victory over Asec Mimosas of the Ivory Coast.
Orlando Pirates beat them 5-2 on aggregate on their way to the 2015 final of this competition.
HOROYA (GUINEA)
Previous competition wins (0): None
Previous meetings: None
Match dates: 12-14 May (home); 30 June-2 July (away)
Horoya Athlétique Club are appearing in the Confed Cup for the first time and have had little success on the African continent in the past bar a win in the now defunct African Cup Winners’ Cup almost 40 years ago.
They are unbeaten in their domestic championship this year and head the Ligue 1 table‚ having also claimed the title last season. They dropped into the Confed from the Champions League this campaign after a loss to Esperance‚ and defeated IR Tanger of Morocco to book their place in the pool stage.
This will not be an easy away day‚ with conditions likely to be dicey and Guinea not an easy travel destination from Johannesburg.
TP MAZEMBE (DR CONGO)
Previous competition wins (1): 2016
Previous meetings: None
Match dates: 2-4 June (away); 20-21 June (home)
The Confed holders will be desperately disappointed to find themselves back in the competition this year with their ambitions always centred on the Champions League.
But for the second year running they failed to make the pool stages of that tournament and can now have a tilt at defending their title in the continent’s secondary club competition.
Few would bet against them doing it either‚ even if they have gone through a period of some turmoil in recent months.
SuperSport have never met Mazembe‚ but the Congolese’s battles with Orlando Pirates and Sundowns have become the stuff of legend.
PLATINUM STARS
CS SFAXIEN (TUNISIA)
Previous competition wins (3): 2007‚ 2008‚ 2013
Previous meetings:
2007 (Confederation Cup): 2-2 (h); 0-2 (a)
Match dates: 2-4 June (away); 20-21 June (home)
The undisputed kings of the Confederation Cup‚ Club Sportif Sfaxien’s previous five appearances in the competition have yielded a record three wins and a runners-up spot in 2010.
Their only blemish was in 2012 when the exited in the first round‚ and they are back in the group stages as‚ with Mazembe‚ arguably the team to beat.
They clashed with Stars in the 2007 Confed and after a 2-2 draw in South Africa‚ claimed a comfortable 2-0 away win in Sfax. This will be the toughest test in the pool for Dikwena.
MBABANE SWALLOWS (SWAZILAND)
Previous competition wins (0): None
Previous meetings: None
Match dates: 23-24 May (away); 7-9 July (home)
Swallows have made the pool stages of an African club competition having only made it past the preliminary stages on one occasion‚ some 22 years ago‚ for the second time in eight previous attempts.
After defeating Botswana side Orapa United 4-2 on aggregate in the preliminary round this year‚ Swallows stunned Tanzanian outfit Azam FC 3-1 over two legs‚ and then edged top Congo-Brazzaville side AC Leopards 4-3 in the play-off round for a stunning success and arguably the greatest moment in the club’s history.
On paper this should be comfortable for Stars‚ but Swallows will be confident too that they can get something from these matches.
MC ALGER (ALGERIA)
Previous competition wins (0): None
Previous meetings: None
Match dates: 12-14 May (home); 30 June-2 July (away)
Mouloudia Club d’Alger had never made it past the first round in their three previous showings‚ but booked a group stage place by dispatching Tanzanian outfit Young Africans 4-1 on aggregate. That was despite a 1-0 away loss.
The club are the cup holders in Algeria‚ and are previous winners of the Champions League‚ though that was all the way back in 1976.
Stars will find comfortable conditions on and off the pitch in the away trip.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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