Sundowns face Angola test as Wiliete raise stakes for Champions League tie

Mamelodi Sundowns will face Wiliete Sport Clube de Benguela SAD in October in a two-legged tie that will determine which club advances to the group stages of the CAF Champions League.

Wiliete have confirmed that the first leg will be played at the Estadio Nacional da Tundavala in Lubango on October 18, with tickets already on sale. The second leg will take place in Gauteng the following week.

The Angolan club are preparing extensively for what could become the biggest match in their short history. Information from Angola suggests Wiliete will offer their players substantial bonuses if they can eliminate the holders and reach the group stages.

That task will be difficult against a Sundowns side that have appeared in the group stages for 11 consecutive years.

The first leg will also require additional travel for Sundowns. The Estadio Nacional da Tundavala is 350km from Wiliete’s usual home, the Estadio Nacional de Ombaka in Benguela.

Sundowns will already be in Durban shortly before the tie, where they are scheduled to play Orlando Pirates on October 10 and Richards Bay on October 13. Wiliete also used the Lubango stadium for their first qualifying-round match against Foresters Mont Fleuri FC of Seychelles.

The venue is one of only two stadiums in Angola approved by CAF. The other is the Estadio 11 de Novembro in the capital, Luanda, where Petro de Luanda play. That stadium is 550km from Lubango.

Wiliete have also been monitoring Sundowns closely as they prepare for the tie. The club has been studying the South African champions in detail, while Sundowns sent an observer to watch their opponents during the Angolan Super Cup match against Petro in August and their Champions League first-leg meeting with Foresters.

Sundowns coach Cardoso will travel to Angola with new technical team member Ruben Jose Ribeiro Santos just days after the club’s two matches in Durban.

The Champions League tie falls within a demanding period for Sundowns. Between league commitments and the November FIFA dates, they are also due to play a Carling KnockOut first-round match on October 27 and the CAF Super Cup against USM Alger.

Wiliete will have two domestic fixtures to complete before meeting Sundowns.