How Brazilians navigated a long and winding road to the Loftus decider

IN the unyielding world of African football, few stories resonate as deeply as that of Mamelodi Sundowns, who are on the cusp of securing their second CAF Champions League title.

- HERMAN GIBBS

Since their historic triumph in 2016 when they won their only title, Sundowns have weighed in with incessant effort, honed their skills, altered strategies and built a squad brimming with talent and potential.

This, seemingly, has laid the foundation for another successful bid for continental supremacy. The final is a two-legged affair, with the Brazilians hosting Egyptian upstarts Pyramids FC in the first leg on Saturday (3pm kick-off) at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

The next stop will be the crucial return leg on June 1 in Cairo.

We track the features of Sundowns' Champions League journey ahead of the two pulse-pounding encounters over the next two weeks...

1 Group-stage resilience and depth

During the Group B stage, Sundowns have emerged as formidable contenders.

Despite the pressure of playing in a group with Moroccan heavyweight clubs such as Raja Casablanca and AS FAR Rabat, who have four Champions League titles between them, they underlined their ability to navigate the complexities of continental football.