Mamelodi Sundowns are in danger of losing the advantage they had in the CAF Champions League for six consecutive seasons, if they qualify for knockouts as runners-up.
Sundowns have emerged in first place in the group stages for the last six seasons.
However, Masandawana for the first time since the 2018/19 campaign face the prospect of not winning the group, should they qualify for the knockout stages.
READ: Defender Set for Long-Term Stay At Sundowns
A 1-0 defeat to Raja Casablanca last weekend saw the Brazilians lose control of winning the group, after they dropped down to second in the section, three points behind AS FAR Rabat, with two matches remaining.
The advantage of finishing as winners of a particular group in the group stages, helps to avoid the big guns early in the quarter-finals, as teams that finishes second are seeded in the last eight draw and are primed to face teams that finished as winners.
And that is not the only advantage, another big perk of finishing first in the group is that group winners play the second-leg of the quarter-finals at home.
Sundowns benefitted from the rules in the previous six years, as last season the Tshwane giants faced Young Africans and even though they struggled to beat Yanga, only winning on penalties after a goalless draw on aggregate.
In the 2022/23 campaign, Sundowns came up against CR Belouizdad in the quarter-finals, who they thrashed 4-1 away and had an easy task in the second-leg at home and won 2-1, making it 6-1 on aggregate.
READ: 'Sundowns Reached Three Cup Finals And Didn't Even Win One'
Even though the Brazilians were knocked out of in the quarter-finals by Petro de Luanda in the 2021/22 season, they lost 2-1 away in the first leg and had the privilege of turning things around in the second leg in Tshwane but drew the game 1-1 and were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate.
Masandawana also had the advantage of playing the quarter-final second leg leg of the 2020/21 campaign at home against Al Ahly.
The Red Devils did their job at home after winning the first-leg 2-0 and it was up to Sundowns to respond in Pretoria but also drew 1-1 and lost 3-1 on aggregate.
The 2020/21 term was a repeat of the previous campaign, with the Brazilians not utilizing the advantage of playing the second leg of the quarter-final at home against the Egyptian giants, who had finished as runners-up for two consecutive seasons.
