By Amakye Ansah, Ghana
Kickoff Time: 1 PM
Venue: Loftus Versfeld
Referee: Djindo Louis Houngnandande, (Benin 🇧🇯)
The Brazilians will host the holders of the CAF Champions League at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday for the first leg of the AFL semi-finals.
The fixture is gradually becoming the biggest on the continent with the Masandawana having the edge over the North African giants; Al Ahly recently. Sundowns are unbeaten in the last 5 encounters against the Red Devils- winning 3 and drawing 2.
“THE AFRICAN DERBY AWAITS”, tweeted by the South African’s official Twitter account. It is a fixture that pits the best from the North and the best from the South, hence, The African Derby.
Rulani Mokwena will approach his 51st game in charge of Sundowns with every seriousness (35 wins, 14 draws, 1 defeat).
The 36-year-old needs to win a continental trophy to write his name amongst the best in the famous Black and Yellow history. His side is one of the most fearful teams on the African continent.
Al Ahly on the other hand has had a devastating start to the season albeit lost the CAF Super Cup to USM Algiers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Red Devils won five consecutive games including home and away victories vs St George of Ethiopia before drawing both games against Simba SC although they qualified on away goal rule.
“We will play a strong match”, said Al Ahly’s captain, Mohamed El Shenawy. It will be a difficult game for the Cairo giants per all indications.
Marcel Koller will be keen to prove a point against a side that thrashed him 5-2 in the group stages of the 2022/2023 CAF Champions League. Al Ahly must double the show they put up in bot ties against Simba to stand a chance to snatch even a draw in South Africa.
From Cape to Cairo, football fans can’t wait to enjoy the newest derby on the continent.
Team News
Mamelodi Sundowns
Masandawana will miss Mothobi Mvala- the 29-year-old former Highlanders defender was shown the red card only in the second minute in the second leg of the Quarter-finals after a dangerous tackle on Petro Luanda’s striker Tiago Azulao.
Peter Shalulile and Ribeiro Costa have a 50/50 chance of playing for the Sundowns as Rulani is hoping they can recover from their respective injuries and play.
Rulani Mokwena’s top players are all available except the suspended Mvala.
Probable Line-up
3-5-2
Ronwen Williams (GK)
Coetzee, Mudau, Kekana
Mokoena, Allende, Modiba, Boutouil
Zwane, Shalulile, Costa Ribeiro
Al Ahly
Summer-signing Emam Ashour will miss the trip to South Africa due to an ankle injury. Every experienced player is fully fit and available for selection. The exact 11 vs Simba in Cairo is expected from Koller on Sunday.
Probable Line-up
4-2-3-1
El Shenawy (GK)
Hany, Abdelmonem, Rami Rabia, Maloul
Dieng, Atia, Afsha, El Shahat, Tau
Kahraba
Prediction
Expect fireworks at the Loftus Versfeld as Sundowns aim to make it make it 3 successive wins at home against Al Ahly.
2-1
