Going into their CAF Champions League match versus Remo Stars, Mamelodi Sundowns are getting ready to break a decades-old curse and seeking their first-ever triumph on Nigerian territory.
The South African champions have never won in Nigeria across past editions of the contest, a record that has tormented them. At the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta on Sunday, captain Ronwen Williams will steer his team into the first leg of their second-round preliminary match versus NPFL champions Remo Stars. With free entry announced by the hosts, the South Africans should expect a charged and threatening environment.
From the humid weather and other factors, Sundowns’ technical crew has been working hard to adapt to the particular difficulties of Nigerian football. Uneven pitches to the enthusiastic home support frequently turn contests into mental struggles.
According to reports, the club’s coaching staff has stressed game management, discipline, and mental toughness as the main means to conquer what has long been difficult ground.
Generally speaking, South African teams have favored the home sides in games against Nigerian opponents since they returned to continental football in 1993. South African teams have only one away victory out of eight such encounters—Orlando Pirates’ little 1-0 win over Shooting Stars in Ibadan in 1996. Still a unique bright spot in an otherwise gloomy past of South African teams touring Nigeria is that one achievement.
Still, there is great hope inside the Sundowns camp. Coach Miguel Cardoso, who recently handled several players returning from international duty, thinks the team’s depth and quality could produce a breakthrough result. Cardoso had to strike a balance between recuperation and training, as eleven players were away with their national teams, including five from the U-20 structure.
Though the travel and scheduling issues have made the build-up challenging, he retained faith in his team’s capacity for resiliency. Cardoso said the worldwide call-ups reflected the team’s strength and promised that the best-prepared players will start on Sunday.
Boasting skill, depth, and tactical maturity, Sundowns are determined to rewrite history and silence the ghosts of past defeats. A favorable result in Abeokuta could mean a turning point for South African clubs hoping for continental success on Nigerian land.
