Mamelodi Sundowns will face a challenging clash in Morocco when they take on hosts Association Sportive des Forces Armées Royales (ASFAR) in their second Group B clash in the CAF Champions League.
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The match is set for the Honneur Stadium in Meknes on Saturday night.
Kick-off is at 9pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).
We're on our travels, looking for an away victory in the Champions League!🇲🇦 🔜
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) December 4, 2024
⚽ AS FAR vs Mamelodi Sundowns
📅 07 December
⏰ 21H00 SAST
🏟 Stade El Abdi
📺 SS 209 & SABC 2#Sundowns #TotalEnergiesCAFCL #RabatsenaGape pic.twitter.com/mevMdiXwJT
MATCH BACKGROUND
ASFAR, also known as FAR Rabat, got their group stage campaign off to the perfect start late last month when they defeated fellow Moroccan side Raja Casablanca 2-0 away from home, thanks to goals from Ahmed Hammoudan and Khalid Ait Ouarkhane.
‘Al Zaeem’ have since beaten JS Souale 3-0 in a Moroccan top flight league match last weekend, as they find themselves in second place on the Botola Pro, seven points short of the pace set by runaway leaders RS Berkane.
South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, meanwhile, got their group stage off to a slow start, as they were held 0-0 at home by DR Congo’s AS Maniema Union.
Yet the Brazilians, who also lost 2-1 in the Carling Knockout (league cup) final a few days prior to their Champions League opener, got back to winning form this past weekend with an emphatic 3-0 home triumph over Sekhukhune United in their domestic league, with an own goal and strikes from Arthur Sales and Iqraam Rayners securing three points and taking them to the top of the Betway Premiership.
Hard at work! 👆#Sundowns #TotalEnergiesCAFCL #RabatsenaGape pic.twitter.com/nZfBYUcI7d
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) December 5, 2024
WHAT THE TEAMS ARE SAYING
ASFAR coach Hubert Velud on the atmosphere in his group of players:
“I feel a great motivation within the group. We have to improve our game, become more efficient, and this strong mentality that I perceive in the players will be an important asset.”
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi on the form of his charges:
“'I think the team is playing well, I don't think I am looking at this thing the wrong way. It is just that sometimes in our country we don't even watch football, we wait for the results. If it is positive it is a good performance, if it is negative it means it is bad performance, but personally I think the team is playing well.”
KEY PLAYERS
El Amine Zouhzouh, ASFAR
The Moroccan hosts will back themselves to create chances on home soil, and forward El Amine Zouhzouh will be tasked with both creating and finishing off scoring opportunities. The 24-year-old has yet to score in the Champions League this season, and would love to break his duck on Saturday night.
Iqraam Rayners, Mamelodi Sundowns
The former Stellenbosch FC striker missed Sundowns’ group stage opener against AS Maniema Union, but has scored in his last three matches in succession (two for Sundowns and one for the South African national team). He will hope to keep that hot streak alive in Meknes this weekend.
HEAD-T0-HEAD
This will be the first meeting of ASFAR and Sundowns. The Moroccan club has never played a South African opponent in a competitive fixture before, while ‘Downs have only ever faced Wydad Casablanca from the North African country, with a record of P14 W4 D5 L5.