Wiliete SC coach Beto Bianchi has made it clear that his side will not simply roll over when they face Mamelodi Sundowns in the return leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary-round tie at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.

The two teams drew 0-0 in the first leg in Lubango, Angola. That result left the tie finely balanced, with neither side taking a clear advantage into the second match. Bianchi believes the Angolan club still has a real chance of progressing to the group stage, despite facing the defending champions.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the Brazilian-Spanish coach said: “We know that Mamelodi are a very strong team in African football, but we also have a say in this, and we believe we have a chance of qualifying.”

He thanked Sundowns for the welcome his team has received in Pretoria and noted that the hosts have been supportive during their stay. At the same time, he accepted that the second leg will be tough. Playing at Sundowns’ home ground, with their supporters behind them, will make the task harder than the first match.

“Regarding the match, we know it will be a very difficult game, just as we knew before the first leg,” Bianchi said. “Perhaps this second leg will be a little more difficult because we will be playing at Mamelodi’s home ground. We know they have supporters who will give them a lot of backing, but, in my opinion, the chances of qualifying are 50-50.”

Bianchi also reflected on how his team performed in Angola. He said they studied Sundowns carefully and managed to limit the spaces the South African side prefers to attack in. Over the full 90 minutes, Sundowns did not win a single corner, which Bianchi saw as proof that Wiliete’s defensive organisation worked well.

He indicated that his side will stick to a similar approach in Pretoria. The plan is to stay organised, deny Sundowns space, and look for opportunities on the counter-attack or from set pieces. Wiliete have been in good form domestically and enter the match unbeaten in their league campaign.

For Sundowns, a place in the group stage is the clear target as they look to defend their continental title. Friday’s match at Loftus Versfeld is expected to be competitive, with both teams knowing that one positive result could decide who advances. Bianchi’s message is straightforward: Wiliete intend to have a say in how the tie ends.

Source: https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2113276732144804340