Sundowns aim to break the hoodoo on Nigerian soil

AS MAMELODI Sundowns prepare for Sunday's CAF Champions League fixture, a challenging statistic casts a shadow over the club: they have yet to claim a win on Nigerian soil.

- HERMAN GIBBS

Sundowns will face Nigerian Premier League champions Remo Stars in a second-round preliminary, first-leg clash on Sunday at the 10 000-seater MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta. The hosts have announced free entry for the game, ensuring a packed crowd will greet the South Africans.

In their previous outings, Sundowns have faced Nigerian opposition three times in the CAF Champions League, each time returning home without a win. The road to success in Nigeria is notoriously difficult - few South African clubs that have ventured into this footballing stronghold have escaped without facing fierce resistance and passionate home support.

Since the return of South African teams to continental competition in 1993, history has largely favoured the home sides when South African and Nigerian clubs have met. A telling statistic shows that out of eight such ties, South African teams have managed just one away victory. That rare triumph came back in 1996 when Orlando Pirates, then the reigning African champions, edged Shooting Stars 1-0 in Ibadan.