South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns stunned Nigerian champions Remo Stars with a 5–1 victory in the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday.
Remo Stars came into the encounter under pressure following a poor domestic run but were quickly pegged back by the visitors, runners-up in last season’s competition, who took the lead in the 12th minute through Tashreeq Matthews with a brilliant strike from the edge of the box.
With three minutes to halftime, Peter Shalulile doubled the advantage after beating his marker to slot past goalkeeper Obassa Adebiyi, giving the South Africans a 2–0 lead at the break.
Sundowns continued their dominance after the restart, and in the 61st minute, Khuliso Mudau set up Miguel Reisinho to make it 3–0. Remo almost reduced the deficit when Samson Olasupo struck the crossbar in the 72nd minute, but minutes later, Arthur Sales added a fourth for the visitors.
Olasupo eventually pulled one back for the hosts, but Tsiki Nsabeleng restored the four-goal cushion in the 85th minute with his first goal for Sundowns, sealing a commanding 5–1 away win for the Pretoria-based champions.
The return leg is scheduled for October 26 at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, where Remo Stars will face a mountain to climb in their bid to reach the CAF Champions League group stage for the first time.
No Nigerian club has won the Champions League since Enyimba’s triumph in 2004, and Remo’s heavy home defeat underlines the growing gap between Nigeria’s top clubs and Africa’s elite teams.
