Mamelodi Sundowns V Esperance Tunis
CAF Champions League, Semi-final, Second leg
26 April, Loftus Versfeld, 20h00
(First leg result: Esperance 1-0 Sundowns)
Africa's top pundits agree that Mamelodi Sundowns dished out good, possession football that had Tunisian supporters biting their nails in the CAF Champions League semifinal, first leg against Esperance. But they are also of the view that 'PlayStation football' is pleasing to the eye, but worthless if you cannot make it count. As the Brazilians prepare for a make-or-break second leg, following a narrow 1-0 defeat, they explain what went wrong for Sundowns in the first leg and what the Yellow Nation needs to do to advance to the final of the CAF Champions League. Soccer Laduma's Thomas Kwenaite speaks to some of the top African football experts and the consensus is that Sundowns have a mountain to climb.
Mamadou Gaye
African Football Analyst
"In the first leg, Esperance knew precisely how important it was to score at home; and the goal would make a huge difference to approach the second leg match leading 1-0. CAF Champions League football is very tricky, with the application of the away goal rule a serious curved ball. For Sundowns, I hope they do not enter the second leg in a desperate mood to score a goal, because if they do, they might trip over their own feet and fail to achieve that elusive objective. I heard Sundowns proclaiming that they dominated the first leg game and tactically controlled the match. To me, dominating a match without attaining a positive result in the process is worthless. Right now, they boast about dominating but the reality is that Esperance have an advantage and if they score first, it might be curtains for Sundowns. I think Sundowns need to be economical and keep it even tighter in defence.
They must not allow Esperance to have a sniff at their goal while stretching them on the other end in their pursuit to level the score. They must contain and squeeze them in the middle and take complete control by dictating the flow of the game. They must also add a little aggression to their attacking play. But importantly, they must score to cancel out the goal they conceded in Tunis. Esperance are masters of gamesmanship and would do everything in their power to frustrate Sundowns. So the Brazilians must be wary and not rush things. In spite of their situation, they must put pressure on their opponents but equally guard against carelessness, lest they open themselves up and concede a goal that would be like a kiss of death. They are capable of pulling themselves out of this hole and salvage this game. It is going to require a superhuman effort from them. They have been boxing beyond their weight limit during the last couple of years and were extremely unlucky to be eliminated at this stage last year. This is the time for them to prove that they have indeed become one of the continent's big boys by extricating themselves from the vice grip exerted by Esperance and stage a come-back. It is up to the players to come to the party, otherwise they will be considered bridesmaids of African football."
Osasu Obayiuwana
British-Nigerian journalist
"It is becoming a challenge for Sundowns to score goals both on the domestic and continental front these days. Naturally, I feel they are capable of overturning the score-line. But judging from their performance in Tunis last week, they really have to work harder to unlock the Esperance defence and break down their attacking line. By the way, Esperance are also determined not to concede. I hear some reports claiming that maybe Sundowns missed Teboho Mokoena. But in my view, they are a top side brimming with a lot of quality. They are supposed to have the best players in South Africa and in any case, Bafana Bafana was also built around their players at the AFCON tournament. So, the absence of one man is unlikely to affect them. You can't say because some player is unavailable and therefore you were unable to score.
It's like they always say that sometimes a team makes a coach. So, they need to buckle up and prove they are not a one-man team! Esperance will come to defend their slender lead and try to catch them on the counter and perhaps get a second goal. I suspect that would be their game plan. So, for Sundowns' morale, they really need to focus and go flat out for a goal as early as possible, because the longer it takes for them to score, the harder it's going to be. And the more confident the opponent is going to be that they can pull it off. I think also Sundowns, supporters can play a huge role in lifting morale and instilling confidence. They need to come out in great numbers and rally behind the team in the only way they know how. That would be a huge motivational push if you recall how Esperance supporters filled up the pitch last week."
Farouk Khan
Founder of Stars of Africa Academy
"I think the first leg was a closely contested affair. I have the experience of playing the same team with Kaizer Chiefs in the same competition, a number of years ago. We lost 3-0 in Tunis and won 2-1 at home. They laid out the red carpet for us and offered us first class service. But it is merely a ploy to lull you into lowering your guard. There was no VAR in those days and on match day, Patrick Mabedi and Fabian McCarthy were penalised and I'm not implying that they (Esperance) had anything to do with it but... Look Sundowns will have to deal with a lot of psychological pressures. No excuse for Sundowns but it is always going to be an uphill battle unless they are going to fight smart. They did very well to keep the score down to 1-0 and with a little bit of luck, could have scored themselves. They defended well and kept possession, but football is about goals, and I think they have to apply slight changes to their team and add a little aggression in attack.
They play expansively, they will not change because that playing system is in their DNA. But Esperance will be difficult to deal with, building out from the back they were compact while applying what looked like a 4-2-2-2 formation. I'm not too sure if Rhulani Mokwena will change but if I have to express my views, I think both Bathusi Aubaas and Thembinkosi Lorch should be rested and Tebogo Mokwena and maybe Peter Shalulile brought in from the start. They played without a recognised striker, and I think that made the work of the Tunisian defenders easier as they only had to deal with Lucas Ribeiro Costa. Personally, I would throw in Shalulile anytime because of his excellent work rate and his ability to harass the defence and pounce on half chances. He is one player that makes defenders to work and attacking with Ribeiro, they will allow Themba Zwane to come in from deep. On face value, some people might say Sundowns did not do well but believe me, they did extremely well in hostile conditions compared to previous teams that visited Tunis. And perhaps I am a little biased but looking at the Esperance goal they scored, it seemed marginally offside. So, it is now up to Rhulani to psyche up his players to dig deep and stress to them that they have to be decisive. They have to put their opponents under the cosh and make sure there is no margin for error. This is the kind of game where Themba Zwane thrives as he is capable of utilizing even small pockets of spaces. If I am a betting man, I would wager that Sundowns would win. Sundowns needed a lot more days to recover from the gruelling first leg. But the situation is as it is, and they have overcome the intimidating atmosphere of Tunis and now they must deliver the knockout blow or otherwise they are out. In fact, their chances of qualifying for the FIFA Club World Cup might be in jeopardy if they lose. I would urge South African supporters, irrespective of the local club that they support, to go all out to support Sundowns because this is not about Chloorkop but about us as a country."
Khabo Zondo
Former Bafana Bafana assistant coach
"Sundowns must just throw caution to the wind and apply the pressing game from the get-go. They must also be careful not to give the ball away cheaply but ensure Esperance do not get anywhere near their defence. In other words, the foundation of a successful campaign is to shut the backdoor! Mind you, Grant Kekana and Mothobi Mvala, while they do have their good qualities, are nonetheless not the quickest of players. This means Ronwen Williams will have to execute his sweeper/keeper role more efficiently. I would also like to see Rhulani Mokwena start the game attacking with Lucas Ribeiro and Peter Shalulile, this will keep the hands of the Tunisian defenders full instead of dealing with a single threat - Ribeiro. They must not defend too deep because if they do that, the scoreline will remain unchanged, and the game will end with last week's 1-0 and that would be disastrous. Themba Zwane will be their key player because of his ability to forage and find small pockets of spaces where none seemed available and he must be allowed to do his thing like he always does and if he gets enough support and supply from the middle, he could turn the match on its head."
Tunde Adelakum
President of the African Football Journalists Association
"I think Sundowns will look back at last week's narrow loss in Tunis and be kicking themselves. They had a lot of ball possession, passed the ball well sometimes and on other occasions looked dangerous. But sadly, the end result was dismal in the final third. If you ask me what went wrong, I'd say, surprising as it may sound, but truth is that I saw stage fright. I saw a team that is supposed to have blended well together over years but allowed the occasion to get to them. A few of the attacking players had an off day. They will have to come out in the second leg on Friday. They will have a lot of the ball again at Loftus as Esperance will sit back and soak up whatever pressure they exert on them and would be closely watching for an opportunity to hit them on the counter. But to their credit, they do have good ball players and they should be able to crack the Tunisian defence wide open and breach them more than once in Pretoria. I wish to let them know that having excellent ball players count for nothing if you cannot hurt your opponent and they must remember that nobody remembers a loser, no matter how well you play or juggle the ball around."
