Mamelodi Sundowns’ Group B campaign got off to a lukewarm start after they were held to a 0-0 draw by AS Maniema Union at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday, November 27.
Manqoba Mngqithi’s side will travel to Morocco next for a clash with AS FAR on matchday 2, with the Green and Blacks hosting Raja Casablanca at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa.
The Brazilians were looking to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Magesi in the Carling Knockout final on Saturday, while Maniema Union hoped to put on a good show on their debut in the group stages of Africa’s elite club competition.
Masandawana took control of the game early on and threatened for the first time on 16 minutes when Lucas Ribeiro forced Bridel Efonge into a save with a curling effort before Marcelo Allende’s volley from inside the box narrowly missed the target moments later.
Efonge did well to tip Teboho Mokoena’s free-kick over the crossbar on the half-hour mark and Ribeiro fired just wide of the goal five minutes later after good link-up play with Arthur Sales.
The visitors held on to ensure the score remained 0-0 at the break, but they quickly came under pressure again in the second half as Edwin Saavedra sent a first-time shot just over the bar on 48 minutes.
Efonge then pulled off a sharp save to deny Sales at point-blank range in the 53rd minute and he was also required to keep out a strike from Thapelo Morena 10 minutes later.
Downs kept pushing for a winner and Ribeiro was a whisker away from finally breaking the deadlock in the 88th minute when he clipped the woodwork with a shot from the edge of the area.
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