Esperance warn Sundowns ahead of return clash

Esperance de Tunis have warned Mamelodi Sundowns of a comeback when the teams meet at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Tunis in the return leg of their CAF Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday evening. 

Kick-off is at 9pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).

MATCH BACKGROUND

The first leg in Pretoria last Tuesday ended 1-0 in favour of Sundowns, with Peter Shalulile scoring the only goal of the game early in the second half.

The match was also marked by fan clashes in the stands at Loftus Stadium – ratcheting up the tension and angst for the return game in Tunisia, as the Blood and Gold look to take their revenge on the Brazilians and secure a path into the semifinals against either Al Ahly or Al Hilal.

WHAT THE TEAMS ARE SAYING

Esperance de Tunis coach Maher Kanzari is confident of turning the tie around:

“What I can tell you, it will be a big game in Tunisia, if they can score one, we can score three and go through – so we’re playing attacking football, I’m confident in playing attacking football in Tunisia.

"There were some attacking players injured, so I rolled the dice. But without that, it could have been a 0-0 so I’m confident it will be a big game in Tunisia where we will go for a win.

“I don’t think that it will matter in the next game, in Tunisia it will be a different ball game. In the last five years we know Sundowns as a technically and tactically good team but as I said, possession is not a key factor to get a result.”

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso on approaching this clash like any ‘normal’ match:

“It’s a match like any other match, my job is to make the players believe it’s a match like any other one, because there’s only 11 players inside the pitch, the crowd and fans don’t play.

“The referee will not want to make mistakes, be neutral, so 11 players have to play football. They have their own strengths, I know what they believe, they live for Champions League nights, they live for wonderful Champions League nights.”

KEY PLAYERS

Esperance de Tunis – Youcef Belaili

The Algerian attacker showed flashes of the danger he poses in the first leg, and he will be hungry to help Esperance overturn the deficit in the return game in Tunisia on Tuesday night.

Mamelodi Sundowns – Lucas Ribeiro

The Brazilian was unable to fully display his abilities in the first leg match in Pretoria, but with Esperance forced to chase the game on home soil, he may well be given a lot more space to play in.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

In head-to-head terms, Sundowns and Esperance have met in nine previous matches (all in the Champions League), with the Blood & Gold claiming four wins compared to two for the Brazilians (plus three drawn games).

The teams’ last meeting in Tunisia was in April 2024 and saw the North African hosts triumph 1-0 thanks to a goal from Yan Mediero Sasse.