CAF Champions League: Mamelodi Sundowns are very difficult to play against – Esperance coach Patrice Beaumelle

Espérance de Tunis head coach Patrice Beaumelle has openly acknowledged the strength of Mamelodi Sundowns after his side were eliminated from the CAF Champions League semi-finals.

The South African champions advanced to the 2025/26 final with a 2-0 aggregate victory over the Tunisian giants, following back-to-back 1-0 wins in the two-legged tie.

Sundowns edged the first leg in Tunisia before sealing qualification with another disciplined performance at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday.

They will now meet Moroccan side AS FAR Rabat in the final, with the first leg set for May 15 in South Africa and the return fixture scheduled for May 24 in Morocco.

Sundowns once again impressed with their trademark possession-based football, characterised by patient build-up play, quick passing combinations, and an emphasis on playing out from the back through goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

The approach, refined during the Rulani Mokwena era, has been carried forward under current head coach Miguel Cardoso.

Speaking after the defeat, Beaumelle admitted his side struggled to cope with Sundowns’ style and physical demands.

“Of course, between the two games we had a long trip to go, so it’s never easy to come off a 20-hour flight. But I think it’s the nature of football,” he said.

“When you play against Sundowns, such a team with a goalkeeper able to play as [an infield] player, we knew that it was always difficult to get the ball.”

He also singled out Ronwen Williams’ influence in dictating play from the back, noting the goalkeeper’s intelligence in distribution.

Despite the disappointment, Beaumelle praised his players’ effort and intensity throughout the tie.

“I think my boys did well because at the end of the day we got a lot of balls, we put pressure, we made a lot of efforts,” he said.

“Maybe, I am saying maybe, we made so much effort to get the ball and it was missing a bit of energy to put the ball in the net.”

He concluded by recognising Sundowns’ consistency at the highest level.

“But Sundowns is a very difficult team to play against and they didn’t lose any game in the last two years, I told you that yesterday,” he added.

“Okay, we lost, we were not efficient in front of goal, but I’m very proud because we did a fantastic game tonight.”