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What Downs have to overcome to emerge out of CAF CL group of death

Mamelodi Sundowns are facing a culture shock with their new South American players in the CAF Champions League, and their group rivals are seemingly holding an advantage in the fixture run-in to complete the section.

The Brazilians dropped points for two successive matches in the CAF Champions League group stages, which is a rarity and as a result, although they are top of Group A, they are equal on four points with TP Mazembe, Nouadhibou and Pyramids.

With three games to go, in the battle to qualify for the quarterfinals, Sundowns rivals seem to have an advantageous run-in of fixtures, where home ground advantage plays a big role in African football. 

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Rulani Mokwena's charges will play their next two group games away against Pyramids and Nouadhibou.

In comparison, the Ravens will play two back-to-back home matches against the Mauritanian side and the Egyptian outfit before facing Sundowns away in their last group game.

Pyramids will also be at home after a goalless draw against the Brazilians and after traveling to Congo, crucially, their last group game is at home again, against the lowest ranked side in the group, Nouadhibou. 

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The Brazilians have shown their frailties in away games in Africa and with the return game against Pyramids looming in Egypt next Tuesday, club legend Hlompho Kekana, reflecting on the goalless draw at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, suggested that Jaime Pacheco's charges did not come to play football and that Sundowns would need an early goal to take gamesmanship out of Pyramids.   
 

"I saw that one coming, typical Champions League match, where there's little action you're going to get in a football match. There was a match we played at Atteridgeville (Lucas Moripe Stadium), the first-half we played 20 minutes," Kekana said on The Pitchside Podcast YouTube Channel. 

"The second half at least we played 35, so the whole 90 minutes expect to play less than 60 minutes, if you're lucky you'll play 70 minutes. So they are always on the ground, they will play those mind games. 

"I saw Marcelo (Allende) losing it, Lucas Ribeiro losing it, I was expecting a lot of guys to let them know about this situation, that they are in the Champions League, certain fouls will never be fouls, they'll take longer to restart the match, it was just a game of delaying. We could have gotten something out of the game had we scored an early goal, it was going to open the whole match," he added. 

Sundowns have only won twice in their last six CAF Champions League away matches. 

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