Mamelodi Sundowns host Wiliete at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night with a place in the CAF Champions League group stage on the line, after the first leg in Angola ended 0-0. The defending champions are favourites, but the Angolan side have already shown they can frustrate them. Here are five things to know about them.
1. A young club on the rise
Wiliete are based in the coastal city of Benguela and joined Angola’s top flight, the Girabola, when they replaced Benfica do Lubango. They have quickly become one of the country’s leading clubs, finishing second in the league in each of the last two seasons.
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2. They won their first major trophy in May
Wiliete beat Kabuscorp 2-1 in the final of the Taça de Angola in May to win the cup for the first time in their history. They later lost the Angolan Super Cup 1-0 to league champions Petro de Luanda.
3. Their first Champions League campaign ended early
Last season was Wiliete’s first in the CAF Champions League, and it ended quickly. They lost 3-0 at home to Tanzanian side Young Africans and 2-0 in Dar es Salaam, going out 5-0 on aggregate in the first round. This time it went the other way. They beat Foresters of the Seychelles 4-0 and 1-0 to go through 5-0 on aggregate without conceding.
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4. Mabululu is the man to watch
Veteran Angola striker Mabululu scored three of the five goals against Foresters. Wiliete also have a familiar face for South African fans in Gilberto, the former Orlando Pirates winger, who scored in the first leg against Foresters.
5. They’re unbeaten this season
Wiliete are top of the Girabola and are yet to lose a league game this season. They carried that form into Sunday’s first leg in Lubango, frustrating Sundowns in a game delayed by 30 minutes because of heavy rain and the threat of lightning.
What Sundowns need
A win on Friday will take Sundowns into the group stage. With away goals in use, a score draw would send Wiliete through instead. Kick-off at Loftus is at 20:00.
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Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
