Petro de Luanda host Mamelodi Sundowns for the 1st leg CAF Champions League quarter-final at the the Estádio 11 de Novembro – here is how the side’s line up.
Petro shocked many this season by dumping Zamalek out of the competition and were narrowly pipped to the top spot in Group D by Botola giants Wydad Casablanca ahead of the last eight.
Sundowns, meanwhile, cruised through Group A with a record high points tally of 16, with five wins and one draw from their six games which have earned them a tag as one of the clear tournament favourites this season.
Co-Head coach Rulani Mokwena is however wary of the threat the Girabola league leaders possess at home, stating they hold a similar tactical outlook as the inform Brazilians who’ve netted 11 goals in their last two fixtures coming into the highly-anticipated tie.
“A strong team, [they are] a very good opponent that plays the game the way we believe football should be played and in a certain way that has a very similar identity to us. They build from the back, they look to press from the top and they also look to dominate the game and have possession,” he told the club’s website.
“We know what’s at stake and what lies ahead, ours is now to put the final preparations and be a bit more specific in our fine-tuning of our schemes to be able to give ourselves the chance to be in South Africa in the second leg with a chance to progress to the semi-finals.”
VAR has been implemented for the clash in Luanda and Petro boss Alexandre Santos said in the pre-match press conference that he hopes it brings a positive outcome for the spectacle.
“We must understand that the video referee does not solve anything, it is simply another instrument that the referees have to be able to give more justice to the result, that is what is intended,” he said.
“We know that sometimes it is not always something easy, because players and teams are not used to waiting or finding out if it’s a penalty situation or a goal. What I hope is that my players are able to be focused on what matters, which is the game.”
How the teams line-up:
Petro XI: Gomes, Pinto, Balanga, Afonso, Carneiro, Da Silva, Miguel, Moreira, Leal, Nicolau.
Subs: Joao, De Oliveira, Da Cruz, Satonho, Estevao, Nanque, Mualucano, Castro, Simao.
Sundowns XI: Onyango, Mudau, Lakay, Lebusa, B. Onyango, Morena, Jali, Mokoena, Zwane, Sirino, Shalulie.
Subs: Mweene, Mvala, De Reuck, Modiba, Maboe, Maema, Safranko, Kapingo, Erasmus.
