Sundowns take their bow in the group phase of the African Champions League

Mamelodi Sundowns come up against a polished outfit on Saturday night as they take their bow in the group phase of the African Champions League‚ more than a decade after their last appearance at the similar stage of the continent’s top club competition.

Their hosts Entente Setif were Champions League winners just two years ago‚ adding to a first title in 1988 and are one of only three clubs from the giant north African country to have won the prize.

They also won the Super Cup in 2015 when they beat Al Ahly of Egypt.

Like Sundowns‚ they completed their league season just weeks ago. But they only finished fifth after being Algerian champions in 2015.

The club have not had any off-season break and were supposed to go to a camp in Tunisia after the end of their league campaign.

But they ditched that plan and have been working out at a sports science institute in Setif‚ which is three hours from the capital Algiers.

Failure to retain their title meant an end to a second stint at the club for the former Swiss international Alain Geiger‚ who was replaced by Abdelkader Amrani.

Algerian clubs usually have a high turnover of coaches. Amrani last year coached MO Bejaia in the group phase of the Champions League.

The club have also reinforced their squad for the group phase of the Champions League.

Competition rules allow the eight clubs left in the Champions League to reinforce their squad by up to seven new players before August 1.

Setif’s squad includes Algerian internationals Abdelmoumene Djabou and Abdelmalik Ziaya and imports from Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic.

 - TMG Digital.