Sundowns bank on away form in Champions League

It has been rare for Mamelodi Sundowns to face defeat away from home in the CAF Champions League over the last four years, and they can certainly ill-afford another against Egypt’s Pyramids FC on Tuesday.

Sundowns are in the tightest of pools, with all four teams' level on four points at the halfway stage. Facing a tough trip to Cairo is dauting, even for a team of their experience and quality.

Since September 2019, Sundowns have lost only four away games in Africa’s elite club competition – twice at Al Ahly, and then surprise losses at Angolan outfit Petro Atletico and last time out in Lubumbashi against TP Mazembe of the DR Congo.

They have 11 wins and eight draws in the 23 games in all, winning just under half in that time.

It is certainly far better than the period of 2015 to 2019, when they won only four of 27 (D8 L15) games on their travels.

That has perhaps been the growth of this side in recent years, their ability to get victories on their travels. They have always been strong at home, losing only twice in 74 matches in front of their own fans, a stupendous record.

But successful campaigns are built on away form and Sundowns’ ability to turn those losses and draws into wins is the reason why they are so often at the business end of the competition these days.

Pyramids, with their South African forward Fagrie Lakay in the team, will be a tough customer that is difficult to break down, but perhaps they will be more adventurous than they were when the teams played to a 0-0 draw in Pretoria earlier this month.

Sundowns have not lost back-to-back away games in the Champions League since they suffered four defeats in a row in 2019 – twice to Wydad Casablanca, once to Al Ahly and then, most surprisingly, to Congolese side Otôho D'oyo.