Trip to Nigeria will take two days

Mamelodi Sundowns are chasing the CAF Champions League crown again, a trophy that has narrowly slipped through their fingers for nearly a decade.

Finals, semis, quarterfinals, heartbreak after heartbreak. 2015/16 brought glory against Zamalek, but since then, near-misses have become routine.

Now, the newest chase begins. Sundowns face Nigerian champions Remo Stars in the second preliminary round, with the first leg on 17 October in Nigeria and the return leg in Tshwane a week later on 24 October.

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AS MAMELODI SUNDOWNS START ON THE ROAD

Kabo Yellow avoided the opening qualifiers thanks to their CAF ranking and last season’s deep run to the final. But Africa never hands anything easy. Remo Stars are NPFL champions, fresh off a historic first league title and a 5-0 aggregate victory over US Zilimandjou from Comoros.

Remo became the Nigerian champions with 10 points clear of Rivers United.

The Betway Premiership champions are expecting an unforgiving trip and a squad that will be stretched by international duty.

“The city we are going to play in we have to travel for two days,’ coach Cardoso told journalists. We cannot make both flights in one day…

“We need to do the best possible and then adapt when our players return from national duty. The trip is obviously difficult, but this is Champions League football.”

KABO YELLOW IN THE CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

• 2024/25: Lost in the final to Pyramids FC
• 2023/24: Lost in the semifinals to Esperance (then coached by Cardoso)
• 2022/23: Lost in the semifinals to Wydad Casablanca
• 2021/22: Lost in the quarterfinals to Petro de Luanda
• 2020/21: Lost in the quarterfinals to Al Ahly
• 2019/20: Lost in the quarterfinals to Al Ahly
• 2018/19: Lost in the semifinals to Wydad
• 2017/18: Group stages exit
• 2016/17: Lost in the quarterfinals to Wydad
• 2015/16: Champions after beating Zamalek 3-1 on aggregate.

This season, Sundowns’ hunt starts at the M.K.O. Abiola International Stadium in Abeokuta. But first, there’s a Carling Knockout match this weekend.