Mamelodi Sundowns’ qualification for the group phase of the African Champions League means they have made it to the money-spinning stage of the continent’s top club competition for the ninth time in a row.
Sundowns beat Bumamura of Burundi 2-0 at Atteridgeville in Saturday’s second leg of their second-round tie to complete a 6-0 aggregate triumph and move now to this week’s draw for the group stage, which kicks off next month.
While the start of their consistent streak in 2016 was fortuitous, Sundowns have seized the opportunity and made themselves now a permanent fixture among the continent’s elite.
The unknown Idrissa Traore holds a special place in the club’s folklore. He was the Mali import at AS Vita Club of DR Congo who was fielded in the early rounds of the 2016 Champions League while he was under suspension, a fact only discovered after the group places were decided. The Congolese club were kicked out and Sundowns, who they had eliminated in the third round, took their place. More good fortune poured on Pitso Mosimane’s team when Entente Setif supporters rioted after Sundowns led them 2-0 away and they were kicked out too. But the Brazilians still had to get past Enyimba and Zamalek, who they beat 2-1 in Cairo to win the group. After that followed a narrow win over Zesco United in the semis and a brilliant final triumph over Zamalek as Sundowns were crowned African champions.
They have not been able to get to the final since despite successive appearances in the group stage.
In 2017, when the group phase was expanded to 16 teams, Sundowns’ defence of their title came to an end in the quarterfinals on penalties to Wydad Casablanca.
In 2018 they had their easiest group yet but made heavy weather of beating rookies AS Togo-Port and went out when thy failed to win at home over Horoya on Guinea on the last matchday.
The next season, the format of the Champions League remained the same but the dates were changed from inside a calendar year to the August-May seasonal format. Sundowns got through to the last eight with a tough draw against Al Ahly of Egypt and they were given little chance, but the 5-0 win at Atteridgeville in the first leg of the quarterfinal remains one of the great days for South African football. It made it even more disappointing that they then lost to Wydad in the semis.
In the 2019-20, Sundowns finished the group unbeaten and with their highest points haul to date – 14 out of a possible 18. They won all three home games without conceding and also won away at USMA in Algeria. For all the promise, however, they came to stuttering stop in the quarterfinals as Al Ahly reminded them who was boss.
In the next campaign, Sundowns rumbled through the group in double quick time and with four successive victories were already qualified for the next phase, even though they still had two games left to complete their fixture list. The Covid pandemic meant Chabab Belouizdad of Algeria had to host their home game against Sundowns in Dar-es-Salaam where the Brazilian won 5-1 – a record for them on the road in the group stage. The Algerian government were not allowing South Africans into the country. But they lost the return rubber at Loftus, taking their foot off the gas and spoiling their near-perfect run. In the quarterfinals, they came up against ex-coach Pitso Mosimane and Al Ahly once again, going down 3-1 on aggregate.
In 2022, Sundowns lost to Petro Atletico from Angola in the quarterfinals despite setting a record for the most points (16 out of 18 ) in the group phase while last season lost agonisingly to Wydad on the away goals rule in the semis.
The Pretoria club are, by far, the most proficient South African club in the Champions League but a total of seven clubs have all flown the country’s flag in the group phase of the Champions League, first introduced in 1997.
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Pirates have qualified four times but last in 2019 2019. They won the old-style Champions Cup in 1995 when the competition was still played on a two-legged knockout basis only and were runners-up in 2013.
Kaizer Chiefs have only qualified for the group phase once in 2021 and surprised all by going all the way to the final despite having the restriction of a Fifa transfer ban.
Manning Rangers (1998), SuperSport United (2004), Ajax Cape Town (2005) and AmaZulu (2022) are the other Premier Soccer League clubs to reach the group phase, which was expanded to 16 teams in 2017.
The group phase will kick off much earlier this season in November and run through to March, although there will be a break when the Africa Cup of Nations finals are hosted in the Ivory Coast from January 13-February 11.
Club who qualify this season earn a minimum of US$700 000 (R13.3-million), although must pay their own costs.