R1 billion at risk for Sundowns

Friday night’s CAF Champions League quarterfinal at Loftus Versfeld must produce goals to avoid being decided through the lottery of the penalties.

After a goalless draw in the first leg last Saturday in Dar es Salaam, a repeat of the same scoreline is the only result that will force the match into penalty kicks.

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According to the CAF Champions League regulations under Fixtures and Format of the Competition, the away goals rule will be applied in the event of a draw over the two legs and if the two teams are still tied, then penalties will determine the winner.

Any scoring draw will favour Yanga going through on the away goals rule, which is what they will be bargaining on as their first route to the semi-finals.

This means for Sundowns, they just need to win and win convincingly to avoid a nervy finish of hanging on to a slender lead late in the game.

The last time the two teams met at Loftus, it finished 3-2.

This was 23 years ago in the second round, first leg of the same competition with the Brazilians then ultimately going through 6-5 after playing out an entertaining 3-3 in the second leg in Tanzania. 

This time, they will again need goals and finish as winners again to go through to the semi-finals, where they have either ASEC Mimosas or Esperance waiting.

Though they have already won the African Football League and already have their seventh domestic league title in one hand plus the Nedbank Cup up for the taking, Sundowns have the Champions League trophy as priority.

This is the competition that will provide the judgemental factor of their season.

Winning it will make for a great season and provide an automatic ticket to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup,