Mamelodi Sundowns are in Nigeria for their CAF Champions League second preliminary round first leg clash against Remo Stars at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta.
Kick-off is set for 17:00, with a place in the group stages on the line.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS MIDFIELDER BATHUSI AUBAAS CONFIDENT TO FACE REMO STARS
Remo Stars, champions of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), have shown they can be tough opponents after dominating US Zilimandjou of Comoros 5–0 on aggregate in the previous round.
Sundowns will battle today’s clash with one eye on the return leg in Tshwane next Sunday.
Midfielder Bathusi Aubaas said his experience against Nigerian opposition gives him confidence heading into the match: “I think I have played against maybe two or three teams here in Nigeria,” Aubaas said at the press conference.
“I have also played at the Nigeria national team. So it is not the first time playing against Nigerian players. It is the first leg against Remo Stars. We are here to play our football.
“We have to do better for ourselves as a team. We can’t make such a long trip and not do well as a team,” he added.
NEW AMBITIONS
The Betway Premiership champions seek another deep continental run after reaching last season’s CAF Champions League final.
Remo Stars, meanwhile, will try to make life difficult for Sundowns despite a slow start in the NPFL. Sitting 13th after seven games with three wins, one draw, and three losses, goals have been hard to come by, just seven scored and nine conceded, but motivation against African giants at home will be high.
Kabo Yellow’s domestic form has been solid but slightly mixed by their own sky-high standards. They sit atop the Betway Premiership, but three draws and a defeat have raised eyebrows. In cup competitions, they lost to Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 semifinals and crashed out of the Carling Knockout at the first hurdle against Marumo Gallants. Still, the goals keep flowing, 17 scored in 10 league matches while conceding only five.