Sundowns, Petro closer to semifinals after away draws
Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Petro Luanda of Angola confirmed their status as favourites to win CAF Champions League quarterfinals with 0-0 first-leg away draws on Saturday.
The manner in which the clubs achieved parity differed, however, with former title-holders Sundowns comfortably containing knockout-stage debutants Young Africans of Tanzania.
Petro, whose best Champions League showing was reaching the 2022 semifinals, had a much tougher time, surviving constant pressure to hold TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The matches also differed in style as Young Africans and Sundowns often operated at near walking pace with the heat and humidity in the Indian Ocean city of Dar es Salaam a factor.
Mazembe constantly attacked at speed, using the wings to good effect on a big pitch in the southern mining city of Lubumbashi, but were let down by poor finishing.
The quarterfinals cried out for clinical forwards with the first three producing just one goal, scored by title-holders Al Ahly of Egypt against Simba of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on Friday.
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