Sundowns’ history in the Champions League group phase

Mamelodi Sundowns have a must win game in the African Champions League on Sunday when they host Raja Casablanca with new coach Miguel Cardoso in charge.

With two points from their opening two Group B matches, the pressure is on the Brazilians to ensure a winning start to the tenure of their new Portuguese boss.

Sundowns are competing for a 10th successive season in the group phase – and 12th time overall – and only twice have they failed to finish in the top two places and advance to the next phase.

THIS IS THE HISTORY OF THEIR PREVIOUS CAMPAIGNS IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:

2000: Sundowns’ first group campaign saw them start positively with two wins and finish with an impressive 12-point haul but it was not enough for a place in the final as they were edged out by Esperance. Their downfall was a 6-1 loss at Africa Sports in the Ivory Coast which cost coach Clemens Westerhof his job. In the early editions of the Champions League, there were eight competitors, divided into two groups of four with only the group winners advancing to the final.

GROUP A

Standings P W D L F A Pts

Esperance 6 4 0 2 12 7 12

Mamelodi Sundowns 6 4 0 2 11 11 12

Africa Sports 6 3 1 2 12 8 10

Sable de Batie 6 0 1 5 5 14 1

2001:

A semifinal round was introduced, meaning progress was extended to the top two finishers. Sundowns failed to score in their first three group games and eventually only managed two goals in their six matches, but bizarrely it proved enough. Home wins over TP Mazembe and Julius Berger in their last two home matches ensured progress. They were one point behind the Nigerian club going into the last game in Pretoria but Bennett Mnguni scored the only goal to see Sundowns through to the semis. There, they edged Petro Atletico of Angola on penalties to reach the final, where they lost 4-1 on aggregate to Egyptian giants Al Ahly

GROUP A

Standings P W D L F A Pts

1. Esperance 6 2 3 1 8 7 9

2. Mamelodi Sundowns 6 2 3 1 2 2 9

3. Julius Berger 6 2 1 3 6 6 7

4. TP Mazembe Englebert 6 2 1 3 5 6 7

2016:

The unknown Idrissa Traore will forever hold a special place in Sundowns folklore. He was the Mali import at AS Vita Club of DR Congo who was fielded in the early rounds despite suspension, a fact only discovered after the group places were decided. The Congolese club were kicked out and Sundowns, who they had eliminated in the third round, took their place. More good fortune poured on Pitso Mosimane’s team when Entente Setif supporters rioted after Sundowns led them 2-0 away in Algeria and they were kicked out too. But the Brazilians still had to get past Enyimba and Zamalek, who they beat 2-1 in Cairo to win the group. After that followed a narrow win over Zesco United in the semis and a brilliant final triumph over Zamalek.

GROUP B

Standings P W D L F A Pts

1. Mamelodi Sundowns 4 3 0 1 6 5 9

2. Zamalek 4 2 0 2 3 3 6

3. Enyimba 4 1 0 3 4 5 3

2017:

As defending champions, Sundowns were expected to do better in the group phase but surprisingly struggled from onset when they were held at home by group rookies St George of Ethiopia. They bounced back to then go to DR Congo and win there for a first time against Vita, who had beaten them in Kinshasa the previous year. But the inconsistency of their campaign was then emphasised in their next game, a home loss to Esperance which left them scrambling for points in their final matches to finish in the runners-up berth place. This was the first year that the group phase was expanded to 16 teams, and four groups, and a quarterfinal round introduced. It was there that Sundowns’ defence of their title came to an end, on penalties to Wydad Casablanca.

GROUP C

Standings P W D L F A Pts

1. Esperance 6 3 3 0 11 4 12

2. Mamelodi Sundowns 6 2 3 1 6 4 9

3. St George 6 1 2 3 2 7 5

3. AS Vita Club 6 1 2 3 7 11 5

2018:

On paper, this was the easiest group yet for Sundowns in any of their previous Champions League campaigns and yet they botched it. Wydad were expected to be their only struggle but they made heavy weather of beating rookies AS Togo-Port and went out when they failed to win at home over Horoya on Guinea on the last matchday. They had to win that match to finish second in the group but proved unable to find the net.

GROUP C

Standings P W D L F A Pts

1. Wydad Casablanca 6 3 3 0 8 2 12

2. Horoya 6 2 3 1 7 7 9

3. Mamelodi Sundowns 6 1 3 2 5 6 6

3. AS Togo-Port 6 1 1 4 4 9 4

2018-19:

The format of the Champions League remained the same but the dates were changed from inside a calendar year to the August-May seasonal format, which is when most of the seasons in the major African football markets take place. Sundowns started their campaign with a loss in Nigeria but recovered with home wins over Wydad and ASEC. They also won convincingly at home against Lobi Star which meant they could afford to lose their last group game in Casablanca but still go through. However, finishing runners-up meant a tough draw against Al Ahly of Egypt and they were given little chance, but the 5-0 win at Atteridgeville in the first leg of the quarterfinal remains one of the great days for South African football. It made it even more disappointing that they then lost to Wydad in the semis.

GROUP A

Standings P W D L F A Pts

1. Wydad Casablanca 6 3 1 2 8 6 10

2. Mamelodi Sundowns 6 3 1 2 9 5 10

3. Lobi Stars 6 2 1 3 4 6 7

4. ASEC Abidjan 6 2 1 3 6 10 7

2019-20:

For the third successive group campaign, Sundowns were paired with Wydad Casablanca and for the first time they finished above them in the group. For the first time, too, Sundowns finished the group unbeaten and with their highest points haul to date – 14 out of a possible 18. They won all three home games without conceding and also won away at USMA in Algeria. For all the promise, however, they came to stuttering stop in the quarterfinals as Al Ahly reminded them who was boss.

GROUP C

Standings P W D L F A Pts

1. Mamelodi Sundowns 6 4 2 0 9 3 14

2. Wydad Casablanca 6 2 3 1 10 6 9

3. Petro Atletico 6 0 4 2 8 14 4

4. USM Alger 6 0 3 3 6 10 3

2020-21:

Sundowns rumbled through the group in double quick time and with four successive victories were already qualified for the next phase, even though they still had two games left to complete their fixture list. The Covid pandemic meant Chabab Belouizdad of Algeria had to host their home game against Sundowns in Dar-es-Salaam where the Brazilian won 5-1 – a record for them on the road in the group stage. The Algerian government were not allowing South Africans into the country. But they lost the return rubber at Loftus, taking their foot off the gas and spoiling their near-perfect run. In the quarterfinals, they came up against ex-coach Pitso Mosimane and Al Ahly once again, going down 3-1 on aggregate.

GROUP B

Standings P W D L F A Pts

1. Mamelodi Sundowns 6 4 1 1 10 4 14

2. Chabab Belouizdad 6 2 3 1 6 6 9

3. TP Mazembe 6 1 2 3 3 6 5

4. Al Hilal 6 0 4 2 2 5 4

2021-22:

Sundowns set a record by amassing 16 out of a possible 18 points in their group – no team in the history of the Champions League had previously managed that many points. The only blemish was a goalless draw away against Sudan’s Al Merreikh, who had to move their game to Cairo because an upgrade to their stadium in Khartoum. Sundowns won both games against Al Ahly, and former coach Pitso Mosimane, as well as scoring four goals away against Al Hilal in Sudan. But again, Sundowns flopped in the knockout stages, surprisingly eliminated by Petro in the last eight after Rulani Mokwena had suggested their first leg loss in Luanda was only a temporary setback.

GROUP A

Standings P W D L F A Pts

1. Mamelodi Sundowns 6 5 1 0 10 2 16

2. Al Ahly 6 3 1 2 7 5 10

3. Al Hilal 6 1 1 4 4 8 4

4. Al Merreikh 6 1 1 4 5 11 4

2022-23:

Sundowns topped their group ahead of record holders Al Ahly again as they thumped the Cairo giants 5-2 at Loftus Versfeld in a result that immediately installed them as favourites. They finished the group phase unbeaten for a second successive campaign and scored 14 goals in their six games – more than they had ever scored previously in a Champions League group. It was also a second successive season that both Al Ahly and Al Hilal were in the same group with the Brazliians, while Cameroon’s CotonSport achieved the unusual distinction of losing all six of their group games. Sundowns then thumped Chabab Belouizdad in the quarterfinals with a 6-2 aggregate triumph and looked to be well on their way to the final after drawing 0-0 away with Wydad in the first leg of the semifinal. But a 2-2 draw in the return match at Loftus Versfeld with Wydad benefitting from a late Mothobi Mvala own goal saw heartbreaking elimination on the away goals rule.

GROUP A

Standings P W D L F A Pts

1. Mamelodi Sundowns 6 4 2 0 14 7 14

2. Al Ahly 6 3 1 2 14 8 10

3. Al Hilal 6 3 1 2 6 6 10

4. CotonSport 6 0 0 6 3 16 0

2023-24:

Sundowns started well with a 3-0 victory over rookies Nouadhibou but then lost to Mazembe in Lubumbashi and were held at home by Pyramids. It was a not the progress through the group stage that the Brazilians had been hoping for, but in the second half of their fixtures they swept the board and with nine points from their last three fixtures made sure again of top place in their group. Sundowns’ previous flops in the knockout stage weighed heavily on them as they advanced past Young Africans of Tanzania in the quarterfinals on post-match penalties after both legs ended goalless. In the semifinal they were beaten both home and away by Esperance whose coach Cardoso now takes charge of Sundowns.

GROUP A

Standings P W D L F A Pts

1. Mamelodi Sundowns 6 4 1 1 7 1 13

2. TP Mazembe 6 3 1 2 6 2 10

3. Nouadhibou 6 1 2 3 4 9 5

4. Pyramids 6 1 2 3 3 8 0