Mamelodi Sundowns endured a frustrating opening 45 minutes against Angolan side Wiliete SC in their CAF Champions League second preliminary round first leg on Sunday, heading into the break deadlocked at 0-0 at the Estádio Nacional da Tundavala in Lubango. The defending champions, who received a bye through the first preliminary round, struggled to impose their usual fluid passing game on what appeared to be an uneven surface, with the match itself delayed by 30 minutes due to adverse weather conditions and the risk of lightning in the area.

The Brazilians' best chance of the half fell inside the opening five minutes when Brayan León beat the offside trap to latch onto Nuno Santos's lofted pass, rounded the goalkeeper, only for a Wiliete defender to clear his effort off the line. Thereafter, Sundowns found clear-cut opportunities hard to come by, with Tashreeq Matthews and Teboho Mokoena both testing Wiliete goalkeeper Elber Delgado from range, but neither able to find the breakthrough that Miguel Cardoso's side desperately sought.

The evening took a worrying turn for Sundowns in the 40th minute when influential midfielder Teboho Mokoena was stretchered off following a heavy challenge, forcing Bathusi Aubaas into the fray as a replacement. Mokoena, who had only recently returned to club action after an injury sustained on international duty with Bafana Bafana, appeared in visible discomfort as he left the pitch, casting a shadow over the visitors' already disjointed first-half display.

Wiliete, unbeaten in their domestic Girabola campaign and buoyed by a 5-0 aggregate victory over Seychelles' Foresters in the previous round, grew in confidence as the half wore on. The Angolan outfit, featuring former Orlando Pirates winger Gilberto and Angolan international Mabululu, pressed with physical intensity and looked to exploit spaces left by Sundowns' makeshift backline, which was already missing captain Ronwen Williams, Aubrey Modiba, Khuliso Mudau, Grant Kekana, and Keanu Cupido through injury.

With the tie finely poised ahead of Friday's return leg at Loftus Versfeld, Sundowns will need to rediscover their attacking rhythm and clinical edge if they are to avoid an upset against the motivated Angolan champions. For now, the defending champions depart Lubango with a clean sheet but also with mounting concerns over Mokoena's fitness and a growing awareness that Wiliete will not be the pushovers many had anticipated.

Source https://x.com/iDiskiTimes/status/2111855068429402308