Sundowns progressed to the next phase of the CAF Champions League following a 5-2 aggregate win over AS Otoho of Congo Brazzaville on Saturday night.

The Brazilians will now face Côte d’Or of the Seychelles in the next preliminary round and coach Mosimane has warned that there’s a long way to go for his side if they want to continue their impressive recent record in the Champions League.

‘We did what we had to do. We respected the emblem, especially in the first half and made sure the team had to go to the next round. That was important,’ said Mosimane after his side overturned a 2-1 deficit from the first leg two weeks ago.

‘It is a long way to the end; and it comes with different tactics and different opponents. It’s getting tougher than the game we played [on Saturday].

I am not saying it was easy, but the resistance was not very big from the opponents, especially in the second half. And that is where we should have scored more goals. I was not happy with the second half. I was sitting down in the first half, but I didn’t in the second half because I don’t think my team played well,’ Mosimane concluded.

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Downs came into the game trailing on aggregate after a 2-1 loss in their first leg in the Congo and they knew a big performance was needed to overcome the visitors.

Sundowns came out the blocks firing and almost levelled the aggregate score with just 10 minutes gone as Tebgog Langerman smashed the upright with the goal gaping.

Masadawana, though, were not holding back and opened the scoring three minutes later when Lebohang Maboe was fouled in the box leaving Uruguayan Gaston Sirino to step up and calmly converted his first of the season.

It didn’t take the home side long to double their lead as Mosa Lebusa helped Sibusiso Vilakazi’s cut back over the goalline.

Sirino was on fire and he doubled his tally and put Sundowns firmly in control as he picked out the top corner with an audacious effort with 34 minutes gone.

There was no stopping a rampant Downs side in the first half as Zwane made it 4-0 just four minutes before the break, latching on to a Vilakazi pull-back before scoring an easy tap-in.

With the game all but secure Pitso Mosimane’s charges continued to push forward with only a goal-line clearance stopping Zwane from doubling his tally in the 49th minute.

Sirino was in search of a hat-trick and came close when he hit the crossbar in the 66th minute.

Mosimane made a number of changes as the clock began to wind down, which allowed his side to comfortably see out the game and progress in the Champions League with a 5-2 aggregate victory.

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The Brazilians suffered a 2-1 defeat in the first leg in Owanda, but having scored the vital away goal they will only need a 1-0 win in the second leg to avoid elimination from the competition which is held so in high regards at the club.

Downs will welcome the central Africans to the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville on Saturday evening as they contest with their packed fixture schedule after a 1-1 draw with cape Town City in Attridgeville on Tuesday.

Mosimane knows that his side will face a tough physical battle but he has backed his players to score and get the job done.

‘They are strong‚ physical boys from central Africa and they will come here to park the bus and sit on their lead. We are going to have to work out a way to get around that.

‘But we played well against them when we were 10 against 11 [in Congo]. We had a lot of possession and managed to score when we were a man down.

‘We should be able to score a goal or two on Saturday. It won’t be easy‚’ Mosimane added.

‘We have to break the ice but if we get an early goal it will be much easier because they will be forced to come out and try and play. They are going to be dangerous at set pieces so we must make sure we have the right height in our team too,’ he concluded.

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Sundowns did not play in the qualifiers last season, and after making it all the way to the semi-finals of last season’s competition they were looking to avoid slipping up in the qualifiers this time round.

Downs’ Congolese opponents were looking to take advantage of their home ground in the first leg and they got off to the best possible start when Musa Lebusa brought down a Otoho attacker in the box and the referee pointed to the spot.

The host capitalised on the opening by slotting home the spot kick and taking an early lead.

GOAL! The hosts open the scoring from the spot kick! #Sundowns #CAFCL

— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) August 11, 2019

Pitso Mosimane’s team looked to hit back quickly as Phakamani Mahlambi forced the opposition into a good save.

Shortly after the Mahalmbi chance Downs were 2-0 down as they host doubled their lead from a well taken corner kick.

Then just before the break Mosimane’s men were dealt a hammer blow when captain Hlompho Kekana was sent off, which infuriated the Sundowns players and coaching staff.

The skipper is given his marching orders, RED CARD shown as the players gather protesting! #Sundowns #CAFCL

— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) August 11, 2019

2-0 at the break with the Absa Premiership champions having a big second half ahead of them.
The South Africans came out fighting in the second half and saw protests waved away for a penalty early in the stanza after Tebogo Langerman was brought down in the box.

Downs were pilling on the pressure and eventually pulled a goal back when Thapelo Morena produced a thunderbolt from distance, scoring a vital away goal in the process.

GOAL! Thapelo with a wonder strike from 25yards! Unstoppable! #Sundowns #CAFCL pic.twitter.com/mggDGqEt4j

— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) August 11, 2019

Try as they might Masadawana could not find the equalising goal, but they will take a vital away goal into the second leg at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in two weeks’ time.

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The Brazilians are set to jet off to Congo-Brazzaville today ahead of their Caf Champions League preliminary first-leg clash with the Congolese on Sunday.

Sundowns will be hoping to improve in the continental competition this campaign after reaching the semi-finals during the 2018-19 season.

Mosimane knows what to expect when they travel to Congo and would be delighted to walk away with an away goal heading into the return leg at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on 23 August.

‘We must be smart. They are a powerful team. They eliminated [Miguel] Gamondi’s team and they went to the group stages of the Confederation Cup and they were playing with Raja Casablanca. I mean Raja won the Super Cup against Esperance in Qatar,’ Mosimane told the media.

‘They are big boys, it’s Champions League, you know the story. We must really be careful of set pieces. They have hard running wingers and their striker is big and quick. They are a typical Champions League team. The conditions are not that favourable, the pitch is not a flat pitch. We are not complaining because Raja went there without complaining.

‘Why should we complain about the pitch? The minute you start complaining about the distance, the pitch, the kind of hotel, mosquitos and those kind of things … the minute you complain about those things then you have lost it. You are in Champions League, my friend, just get on with it. If it’s difficult to play away, play to get a draw, just don’t lose.

‘It would be nice to get a draw with goals. 1-1 is better than 0-0,’ he concluded.

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