Mamelodi Sundowns have qualified for the CAF Champions League group stage after their 2-0 win over Remo Stars of Nigeria in the second leg of the tournament’s Second Preliminary Round at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
In the first leg, Bafana Ba Style hammered Remo 5-1 in Nigeria last weekend, giving themselves the upper hand coming into the return leg.
The Brazilians started the showdown on a positive note, pushing for an early breakthrough as Peter Shalulile threaded a pass into the box from the wing, but the visitors’ defender cut it out for a corner.
Masandawana continued to move the ball well, looking to control the tempo and break down Remo’s back four. In the 20th minute of the contest, Nuno Santos made no mistake as he broke the deadlock for the hosts, thanks to a beautiful assist from Aubrey Modiba.
The Chloorkop-based outfit never slowed down as they showed the Nigerian side why they were finalists in last season’s Champions League. Just a few seconds before the halftime break, Shalulile slotted the second goal for Masandawana from a brilliant ball swung in from the corner.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LEADING REMO STARS AT HALFTIME
The half-time whistle blew with Sundowns leading Remo 2-0 after capitalising on their home ground advantage.
In the second stanza, Miguel Cardoso’s troops continued where they left off in the first half, taking command of the showpiece.
As the second half wore on, the visitors tried everything in their power to at least score a consolation goal, but it was never meant to be.
Sundowns redeemed themselves and started to find something of a foothold in the match. In the 50th minute, Masandawana got a huge chance with Khuliso Mudau setting up Shalulile in the box, but the Remo defence blocked his effort.
Remo couldn’t bounce back into the game, with Sundowns having total control of the contest, ensuring they walked away victorious. As a result, the Betway Premiership defending champions advanced to the Champions League group stage with a 7-1 aggregate scoreline. This marks Sundowns’ 11th consecutive appearance in the Champions League group stage.
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