Mamelodi Sundowns have always been a powerhouse in continental football, which is why they will not be defined solely by a successful defence of their CAF Champions League crown – though they will leave no stone unturned in pursuit of it.
Sundowns are currently defending their continental title after securing their second star last season, ending a 10-year drought. As a result, they remain the team to beat at every stage of the competition.
That responsibility is relatively new to most of the squad, as only the veteran duo of Themba Zwane and Denis Onyango remain from the team that won the title under former coach Pitso Mosimane during the 2015/16 season.
However, despite the team enduring a decade-long wait before last season's triumph, coach Miguel Cardoso pointed out how the club has maintained its stature in African football.
“I think it’s the same as it was before,” Cardoso said of the pressure facing the team this season. “Sundowns were a big team even before winning the Champions League for the second time. In the previous season, we played in the final, and the season before that, we played in the semi-finals.
“I remember when I came to face Sundowns, I already viewed them as a massive powerhouse. Nothing has changed – we just added a second star now.
“The issue is not how other teams see us, but how we stay humble, understand how to fight, and compete in these competitions. It's about how we present ourselves entirely.”
Sundowns must give their all when they face Wiliete in the second leg of their CAF Champions League playoff qualifier following a 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture in Angola. Cardoso knows that any result other than a victory in regulation time or via a penalty shootout at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night (8pm) would mark an early end to their campaign.
“We know that if we win, we go through. If we draw 0-0, we go to penalties, and if we draw with goals, we are out,” Cardoso said, before hinting at the last three successive victories in finals. “But finals are meant to be won. If we play at our highest level, we will achieve the result that allows us to advance to the next stage of the competition.”