Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Nigeria’s Remo Stars 7-1 on aggregate to easily advance to the CAF Champions League group stage.
In the second leg on Sunday at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns won 2-0 to complete the task.
The South African champions showed no signs of slowing down, despite having a commanding lead from their first-leg victory in Abeokuta. The Brazilians continued their winning streak in continental football with goals from Nuno Santos and Peter Shalulile.
The hosts quickly established their dominance over the game. In the first few minutes, Khuliso Mudau had a chance, cutting in from the right before the Remo Stars goalie made a fantastic stop.
When Aubrey Modiba’s high press regained possession deep in the visitors’ half in the twenty-first minute, the pressure paid off. Nuno Santos quietly scored the first goal after his deft cut-back found him.
Sundowns controlled the game with their signature passing pace and intense pressing. It was 2-0 just before halftime when Modiba turned provider once more, floating in a corner that dropped nicely for Shalulile to steer past the Remo Stars defense.
After the break, Remo Stars made an effort to return. The closest player was Samson Olasupo, who first fired into the side netting and then dragged a low attempt just wide.
At the opposite end, goalkeeper Obassa Adebiyi made a number of deft stops to keep the score reasonable, while Shalulile was denied a second by a valiant block.
Remo Stars reportedly failed to go past the CAF Champions League preliminary round after four consecutive attempts. After defeating Black Bulls of Mozambique 3-2 on aggregate, Rivers United is now the only Nigerian team currently participating in CAF competitions this season.
