Mamelodi Sundowns begin their CAF Champions League title defence with a trip to Angola to face Wiliete in Lubango on Sunday, Oct. 18. Kick-off at Estádio Nacional da Tundavala is scheduled for 5 p.m. CAT (4 p.m. BST, 3 p.m. GMT) in the second qualifying round.
Sundowns arrive off a strong run of results, having won the MTN8 and reached the semi-finals of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. Their only defeat this season came in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-final against Golden Arrows; they overturned that deficit in the return match. The Brazilians sit top of the South African Premiership with 23 points from nine matches, one point clear of Orlando Pirates, who have a game in hand.
Wiliete qualified for this tie after finishing second in last season’s Girabola behind Petro de Luanda and ahead of Primeiro de Agosto. The Angolan side eliminated Seychelles’ Foresters Mont Fleuri 5-0 on aggregate in the first preliminary round. Domestically they top the Girabola after six matches, with five wins and a draw.
Team news for Sundowns includes the gradual return of Mothobi Mvala from a long-term layoff. Teboho Mokoena played in the MTN8 final despite picking up injuries during the international break; Modiba missed the subsequent 4-1 league win over Richards Bay while Mokoena featured again. Coach Miguel Cardoso has a deep squad to select from but will need to manage existing injury concerns ahead of the trip.
Expected lineups are projected as follows. Wiliete: GK Nayan; LB Giovani Chipolopolo; CB Mindinho; CB Júnior Goiano; RB Wiwí; CM Boucar Sidibé; CM Mule; LW Bito; AM Cairo; RW Gilberto; ST Karanga. Mamelodi Sundowns: GK Ronwen Williams; LB Fawaaz Basadien; CB Mothobi Mvala; CB Grant Kekana; RB Thabang Matuludi; CM Marcelo Allende; CM Thabo Cele; CM Nuno Santos; LW Antonio van Wyk; ST Brayan León; RW Cassius Mailula. Sundowns have reached the CAF Champions League knockout stages in 10 of the last 11 seasons and in each of the past eight, and have appeared in the last two finals and four consecutive semi-finals, the source says.
