Sundowns Take Huge Step Towards Semis, But Have Work To Do In Tunis

Mamelodi Sundowns took a huge step towards qualification to the semifinals of the 2024-25 Champions League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Esperance de Tunis at Loftus on Tuesday.

The Brazilians will travel to the second leg of their quarterfinal in Tunisia on April 9 with an advantage after they secured a crucial win through marksman Peter Shalulile's superb 54th-minute finish.

It is a slender one, though, and the Brazilians will need to work hard in the away leg to preserve it. Yet, if the tightness of the opening 90 minutes of the tie are anything to go by, Downs have it in them to defend the single-goal lead at the 60,000-seat Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi.

Sundowns registered their first win over Esperance after five attempts and interestingly the victory was engineered by coach Miguel Cardoso, who led the Tunisian outfit to last year's final where they lost 1-0 on aggregate against Al Ahly.

Esperance knocked Rulani Mokwena's Sundowns out the semifinals 2-0 on aggregate on the way to that final. The Brazilians have an opportunity for avenge that defeat if they finish the job away from home next week.