Sundowns out to avoid CAFCL upset in Alexandria

Mamelodi Sundowns will be clear favourites to advance into the semifinals of the Caf Champions League when they lock horns with Al Ahly at Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria on Saturday.

Kick-off is at 6:00pm CAT (GMT +2).

The Brazilians defeated the eight-time African champions 5-0 in first-leg quarterfinal clash last weekend, condemning the visitors to one of their most embarrassing moments in recent history.

Themba Zwane, Wayne Arendse, Ricardo Nascimento, Gaston Sirino and Phakamani Mahlambi all found the back of the net for Sundowns at a sold out Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.

Consequently, the 2016 champions will be expected to get the job done in the reverse fixture this weekend on their return to the stadium where they lifted the crown following aggregate victory over Zamalek three years ago.

Al Ahly head coach Martin Lasarte, who has come under huge scrutiny for his team's performance on the outskirts of the South African capital, apologised to his club's fans following the disastrous result in the first-leg and pressure will mount if his team put in another below-par performance on Saturday.

“We have certainly played a bad game, and we need to work in the upcoming period,” Lasarte said.

“I would like to send a message to the Al Ahly fans who attended the game in South Africa, as well as the ones who watched the game on TV. We are sorry.

“We are embarrassed and apologise to you. There is nothing else to be said. We will talk less and work more from now on,” he concluded.

In turn, Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane has urged his troops to not rest on their laurels despite the dominant position they find themselves in heading into Alexandria this weekend, knowing all to well Al Ahly will be a different beast on home soil.

"It's going to be a difficult game, we need to fight fire with fire," said Mosimane.

"I hope we keep our integrity. I hope we keep the result. I hope we protect the big work we have done. We don't have a guarantee but it's all in the mind.

"Bafana Bafana went [to Libya] needing a draw and they won. We should believe, we should trust, we should believe in the way we play but we need to double our efforts.

"If we lose, we will lose if these guys are really good, not because of attitude and mentality. I will never let that go," he concluded.

The aggregate winner will face either Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) or Horoya AC (Guinea) for a place in this year's final.