With Mamelodi Sundowns set for a crucial CAF Champions League clash against Egyptian Premier League leaders Pyramids FC, here are three dangermen Rulani Mokwena's charges should be wary of!
Jamie Pacheco's side currently occupy top spot in the Egyptian top flight, with 17 points from their first eight matches of the season. In the Champions League, however, things haven't been so simple as they sit level on four points with the three other teams in group A, including Masandawana.
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The two clubs will meet at 18:00 (CAT) at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo today after their first group fixture at Loftus Versfeld ended in a 0-0 draw on 10 December.
Following that previous encounter, manager Pacheco insisted that his team could have stolen a victory over their South African opponents, but was satisfied with the result.
On this occasion, the Portuguese boss has already stated his intention to take all three points at home.
"Our target is to win this game," the 65-year-old said at a press conference on Monday, according to Ahram Online. "The game against Sundowns will be decisive in this difficult group. We produced a convincing performance in Pretoria, and I believe that we are capable of claiming the victory in Cairo. A win in this game will bring the team closer to reaching the next round."
Pyramids will be without their first-choice goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy and playmaker Ramadan Sobhi, with the two of them having been sidelined due to injuries. However, the club doesn't seem to be lacking for firepower, with forwards Fiston Mayele, Mostafa Fathi and Fagrie Lakay are expected to feature in their attack this evening.
Fiston Mayele
Mayele was recently nominated for the 2023 CAF Men's Interclub Player of the Year award, but he and fellow nominee Peter Shalulile eventually lost out to Percy Tau of Al Ahly. The DR Congo international joined Pyramids in June from Young Africans, and his impact in Cairo has been instant as he already has four goals in seven starts in the league, with one of those strikes coming in their most recent match against Baladiyat El Mahalla. South Africans will be aware of the centre-forward, too, as he was linked with a move to the DStv Premiership before he decided on the €733 000 (R14.8 million) switch to Cairo instead. Last term, he won the CAF Confederation Cup's Golden Boot (with seven goals) after guiding Yanga to their first-ever continental final, although they finished as runners-up to eventual winners USM Alger.
Mostafa Fathi
Fellow new signing at Pyramids, Fathi also poses a huge threat to the Pretoria outfit as he is his club's leading scorer on the continent this season with four goals in four games. The 29-year-old joined the Egyptian giants on a permanent deal from Al-Taawoun for a fee of €903 000 (R18.2 million) in July, and has since made a total of five goal contributions in 10 games across all competitions. The ex-Zamalek star has also shown he can be a feisty character during games, having clashed with Downs boss Mokwena during the previous fixture in Tshwane. Following a contentious tackle, the player and the coach had a go at each other, with Mokwena commenting on the incident after the match.
"It's difficult to [comment on that] because it brings me back to the refereeing issue, and I don't want to discuss that situation," the Masandawana coach said after that match. "It was a bit of an unfortunate situation, and again it happens because of a foul that's not given and then the players feel incensed, and when you try and calm everyone down, then players react – but not [going] to pay too much attention to that."
Fagrie Lakay
Lastly, a familiar name to South Africans. Lakay is expected to play a big role against the club from his country after drawing a blank in their previous encounter. The Bafana Bafana player scored in Pyramid's last official match against El Mahalla, and will certainly look to add to his season tally of three goals in all competitions this evening. On the back of his disappointing omission from Hugo Broos' 50-man preliminary squad, the Cape Town-born star could channel his frustrations towards Downs in the Champions League, with many feeling he now has a point or two to prove!
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