Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena faces the challenge of devising a strategy to breach the Esperance defense in the upcoming CAF Champions League encounter. Esperance, the Tunisian powerhouse, has displayed defensive solidity throughout the tournament, conceding only three goals in the 10 matches they have contested thus far. Esperance’s defensive prowess was evident in the qualifying rounds, where they secured clean sheet victories in both legs against AS Douanes of Burkina Faso, clinching the tie 1-0 on aggregate to progress to the group stages.
Subsequently, Esperance finished as runners-up in Group C, advancing to the quarterfinals where they once again secured clean sheet victories in both legs against TP Mazembe, ultimately progressing after a penalty shootout. With an impressive record of nine clean sheets in 10 Champions League matches this season, Esperance poses a formidable challenge for Sundowns. In contrast, Sundowns have struggled to display clinical finishing in front of goal in the competition this season, notably failing to score in both legs of the quarterfinals, necessitating a penalty shootout to secure progression to the semi-finals.
Therefore, it is evident that Sundowns will need to overcome significant defensive resilience to succeed in the upcoming fixture.