New signings cleared to play in Champions League

All Mamelodi Sundowns’ new signings have been registered for the African Champions League and can play in Saturday’s group encounter away against FC Nouadhibou in Mauritania, where the South African club seeks a win to facilitate their early progress to the quarterfinals.

Sundowns officials said Matias Esquivel, Divine Lunga, Tashreeq Matthews and Zuko Mdunyelwa had all been registered as additional players for this season’s continental club competition.

Sundowns top Group A in the Champions League and will likely make sure of their progress if they win on Saturday in Noukachott against Nouadhibou, who they easily beat 3-0 in Pretoria in November at the start of the group phase.

But they travelled this week without several regulars, injured on national team duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Khuliso Mudau and Mothobi Mvala are both not expected back for two months while Temba Zwane is struggling with an injury.

Sundowns are three points above Nouadhibou in the standings. TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pyramids of Egypt meet in the other group encounter earlier on Saturday.