CAF Champions League
PLATEAU UNITED HAVE A HUGE MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB IN CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TIE
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
On account of their high altitude domain, Plateau United may have been used to mountain climbing, but this weekend, they have a huge one to climb as they engage Simba Lions of Tanzania in the return leg of the opening round of the CAF Champions League.
Plateau United carry a deficit 1-0 from Jos. If they fail to advance, they become the first Nigerian clubside to lose to Simba Lions.
Encounters of Nigerian clubs with Simba Lions have been very rare as there have been just two teams that faced the Tanzanian side in the 56 years of the African inter-clubs competition.
The two teams, though now defunct, are Water Corporation of Ibadan and Raccah Rovers of Kano. The latter beat Simba Lions 2-0 in Lagos in 1979 and played goalless in a tragedy-laden return match with Simba in Dar es Salaam as a Simba player, Hussein Tindawa collapsed on the pitch and died.
Water Corporation on the other hand played goalless with Simba in Lagos in the then 1977 African Cup of Champions’ Clubs but won 1-0 in the return leg in Dar es Salaam to advance to the next round.
The feat of Water Corporation 43 years ago is what is expected that Plateau United will replicate.
But it may not be an easy task as even the winners of the first leg, Simba have been advised against complacency.
Tanzania Daily News has put an advisory to Simba Lions. It warned the club not to think that the job was already done with their 1-0 away win in Jos.
“The Nigerian champions have come to Tanzania like wounded bull, hence Simba should take the encounter very seriously and treat it the way they treated their first leg match”, the paper wrote.
It further warned that this weekend match with Plateau United should not be taken as a downhill task.
Egypt’s Pyramids claimed a deserved 2-1 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa. This led to a 3-2 aggregate success. They celebrated their first African Champions League title. This triumph occurred following the second leg of this year’s final at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Sunday.
The first leg in Pretoria finished 1-1. Fiston Mayele gave Pyramids the lead on 23 minutes. He profited from a Sundowns defensive error. Ahmed Samy doubled the advantage on 56 minutes. He scored with a header from a free-kick.
Sundowns pulled a goal back through Iqraam Rayners with 15 minutes remaining. One more goal would have given them victory in the tie on the away goals rule. However, Pyramids held firm despite heavy pressure from the visitors.
Pyramids are the fourth Egyptian side to lift the Champions League trophy after record 12-time winners Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Ismaily. Meanwhile, 2016 champions Sundowns head to this month’s Club World Cup in the United States on a low note.
-Reuters
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- 1. Pyramids aim to become the first new CAF Champions League winner since Sundowns (2016), the 13th in the modern era, and the 27th overall.
- 2. This is the 19th Champions League-era final featuring an Egyptian club. Previous teams (Al Ahly 10, Zamalek 1) have won 11 titles.
- 3. Including the pre-Champions League era, this is the 29th final for an Egyptian club, with 18 wins and 10 losses.
- 4. Pyramids have played only 1 of their last 9 matches at home but are unbeaten in their last 23 home games this season (W19 D4) and last 28 overall (W24 D4).
- 5. Pyramids scored in 22 of 23 home games this season; the only blank was a 0-0 draw vs Al Masry.
- 6.This season, they’ve won all 7 home matches, scoring 26 and conceding 6, with one clean sheet. In total, they’ve lost just 1 of 11 home matches in the competition.
- 7. Fiston Mayele leads with 8 goals in 12 matches (5 since group stage); Ibrahim Adel has 6 (also 5 post-group stage).
- 8. Ramadan Sobhi has 5 assists in 9 games (joint-most), plus 2 goals. He’s had major impact off the bench twice.
- 9. Askary Chibi has created 20 chances since the group stage — the most for Pyramids.
- 10. Pyramids have kept 3 clean sheets this season, all away, but remain dominant at home
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- 1. Sundowns are in their third CAF Champions League final (2001, 2016, 2024).
- 2. South African Record: First South African club to reach three finals, surpassing Orlando Pirates (2).
- 3. Sundowns hosted the first leg in all three finals. In 2001, they drew 1-1 at home and lost 2-0 away to Al Ahly.
- 4. Sundowns beat Zamalek 3-0 at home, lost 1-0 away, and won 3-1 on aggregate.
- 5. Sundowns have never scored in an away leg of a Champions League final, conceding five in total.
- 6. The current final marks the second time Sundowns led at home and failed to win (also in 2001).
- 7. A defeat would make Sundowns the first South African side to lose two finals.
- 8. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 10 matches vs Egyptian opposition (4wins and 6 draws).
- 9. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 4 visits to Egypt (2 wins and 2 draws).
- 10. A win would make Sundowns the first team since Al Ahly (2012) to win the title after failing to win the home leg.
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