CAFCL Semi Final: How Sundowns Can Get a Win Against Al Ahly in Cairo

CAFCL Semi Final: How Sundowns Can Get a Win Against Al Ahly in Cairo

  • Mamelodi Sundowns were held to a draw by Al Ahly in the CAF Champions League semi-final first leg at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium
  • The Premier Soccer League giants missed a chance to secure a home win ahead of the return leg in Cairo next weekend
  • A sports journalist has highlighted what Sundowns did wrong in the first leg and also broke down the key areas Masandawana must improve to secure victory in the second leg

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Mamelodi Sundowns failed to take advantage of their home ground in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final clash against Al Ahly.

The Brazilians played out a goalless draw against the Red Devils at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday afternoon with the away team being the better side.

A place in the final is up for grabs for both teams, but Masandawana need to do all necessary things to get a win in Egypt.

Mamelodi Sundowns were unable to make use of their home advantage against Al Ahly in the CAF Champions League semi-final.
Mamelodi Sundowns held to a goalless draw in the first leg of the CAF Champions League semi-final by Al Ahly in South Africa. Phot: @Masandawana.
Source: Twitter

How Sundowns can get a win against Al Ahly in Cairo

In an exclusive chat with Briefly News, Uche Anuma shared his thoughts on the first leg clash between Sundowns and Al Ahly.

"Mamelodi Sundowns didn’t do things right in the first leg of this tie. I expected more from them, especially from the midfielders," he said.
"Al Ahly are a good team, we can’t deny that, but they are not as formidable as they used to be. They were there for the taking for Sundowns yesterday, but they fumbled in creating good chances.
"Jayden Adams really disappointed me with his performance, as much was expected of him after what he’s done in recent weeks before the match.
"There was literally no connection between the midfield and the forwards, and Miguel Cardoso couldn’t address that at the half-time break.

"The only positive thing that happened for the Brazilians in the game was when Themba Zwane came on in the second half."
Miguel Cardoso advised on what to do in the return leg of the CAF Champions League semi-final against Al Ahly.
Miguel Cardoso told what he must do to get a win against Al Ahly in the second leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final clash. Photo: @Masandawana.
Source: Twitter

Anuma also explained what Sundowns need to do to get a win against Al Ahly, just like Orlando Pirates did in Cairo next weekend.

"Firstly, Zwane must start, as he’s one of their best players in terms of creating chances for the strikers," he added.
"Cardoso should cut out his defensive approach and start with Peter Shalulile and Iqraam Rayners upfront.
"The most important objective of them all, which is also the most difficult aspect, is stopping Al Ahly from scoring."

Al Ahly are a formidable side when playing at home, which means the Tshwane Outfit need to put in their best to get victory in Egypt.

Cardoso explains why Sundowns struggled against Al Ahly

Briefly News earlier reported that Miguel Cardoso has opened up on the reason Mamelodi Sundowns struggled to get past Al Ahly in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final.

The Portuguese manager also outlined the two objectives his team had before the match, but they could only achieve just one against the Red Devils.

He also made a bold statement about their second leg tie at the Cairo International Stadium.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Raphael Abiola avatar

Raphael Abiola (Sports editor) Raphael Abiola is a Nigerian Sports Journalist with over seven years of experience. He obtained a B.Tech degree in Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 2015. Raphael previously worked as a football editor at Stakegains (2016-2018) and a content editor with Opera News Nigeria (2018-2023). Raphael then worked as an Editor for the Local Desk at Sports Brief (2023-2024). Reach him via email at raphael.abiola@sportsbrief.com.