Mamelodi Sundowns will treat their upcoming CAF Champions League second round preliminary match against Wiliete SC of Angola as a final. The two teams will meet in a second leg encounter at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Friday evening, after a goalless draw in the first leg last weekend.

Sundowns who are the defending champions, must win the match to progress to the group stage of this season’s competition. The permutations for Friday’s match are very simple. Mamelodi Sundowns must beat Wiliete SC of Angola if they want to progress to the group stage of the competition.

Sundowns won their second Champions League title in May this year and started their title defence with an unconvincing goalless draw away from home last weekend.

“This match is like a cup final for us, and we’ve been playing similar games week in and week out since the beginning of the season. We want to fight to get to the higher stages of the competition. We know if we win, we go through, if we play a zero draw it will go to the penalties.” says Miguel Cardoso, Mamelodi Sundowns coach.

Sundowns are South Africa’s most successful club in CAF’s premier club competition. They have reached the group stage of the competition every time since winning their first title back in 2016.

“I’m not downplaying the importance of this game. But all the games that we play are important. The last time Sundowns played Petro Luanda from Ngola, they were knocked out. I said it after the draw that this is not a kind draw for us but again nothing is easy in the Champions League. We need to fight to get to the group stage.” Cardoso elaborates.

The last time Sundowns were eliminated in the play-off’s was in 2008. They have reached the group stage of the Champions League thirteen times and finished as runners up twice. But they realise they cannot afford to put a foot wrong against the Angolan champions.

“I think this game is the most important game for us as a team. If I’m not mistaken Sundowns have been in the group stage for the past ten years or so. The past game is like water under the bridge, we know that we have to sweat blood on Friday but definitely we will go through to the next round.”  says Thapelo Morena, Mamelodi Sundowns winger.

And they’re confident they won’t make the same mistakes on Friday.

“As a club they have passed the stage of discussing how to deal with such a pressure moment. In the last match we got a draw and we know what’s expected of us to go forward. We have already worked on the mistakes we committed in the previous match and we are very hopeful.” Morena added.

Friday’s match kicks off at 8pm.