Nothing in football, as in life, is a forgone conclusion. Just because Mamelodi Sundowns are in the pound seats going into the second leg Confederation of African Football Champions League final doesn't mean they have to rock up and claim the coveted prize.Yes the South Africans have got one hand on the trophy, courtesy of a convincing 3-0 advantage from the first leg defeat of Egyptians Zamalek.Yes it looks like an uphill battle for the White Knights.But they are backing themselves big time and believe they still have a shout in their backyard.story_article_left1The throngs of fans of the five-time champions are refusing to throw in the towel.They have good reason to believe. The world of football is littered with examples of teams that have turned the tables.Pulling the rug from under the feet of the enemy is something Zamalek are fully conversant with.It may have happened far back in 1984, but Zamalek did get a hefty away beating in the semifinal of the African Cup of Champions (now Champions League).They travelled to Algeria for a meeting with JS Kabylie.It ended with a 3-1 trouncing of the visitors.Kabylie had their tails up when they went to Egypt for the return leg.They returned to Algiers with their tails firmly lodged between their legs after falling to a 3-0 defeat.It is against this background that followers of the 1984, 1986, 1993, 1996 and 2002 Champions League winners are fuelled with optimism ahead of the Sundowns clash at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria tonight.Sundowns won the battle in Mamelodi, but the hosts are under the impression that the war is far from over.The fans have adopted an Obamasque approach that has dominated the build-up to the 8.30pm (South African time) kickoff.Trending in the streets of Cairo are #YesZamalekCan and #WeBelieveInZamalek.story_article_right2Margins of 3-0 in a cup final can be overturned, the most memorable being the one that played itself out at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2005.Trailing 3-0 at half-time in that Union of European Champions League final, Liverpool looked dead and buried.AC Milan had pulled an Italian job on the Mersysiders.All that was left for Paulo Maldini and his teammates was to read the last rites. Dust to dust and so forth. Steven Gerrard inspired the Reds to rise like the proverbial phoenix. Second half. 3-1. 3-2. 3-3. Extra time. Penalties. Jerzey Dudek saves Andriy Schevchenko's penalty. 3-2. Win Liverpool. Rafa Benitez you legend. #YNWA.Sundowns must be wary not to stuff up when they've come so far.They have reached a Champions League final before.Ted Dumitru's team of 2001 drew 1-1 with Al Ahly at Loftus Stadium before losing 3-0 at the Cairo International stadium in the second leg.Qualifying for this final cajoled Pitso Mosimane, a student of Dumitru's, to raise comparisons between the classes of 2001 and 2016. It is never a wise thing to compare two generations of teams. But it makes for interesting banter.All I am hoping for is that Sundowns bring the bacon home. For the journey they have travelled, the two PM's - not prime ministers, but Patrice Motsepe and Pitso Mosimane - deserve an evening of dreams. Nothing in football, as in life, is a forgone conclusion. But let there be no historical comeback for the White Knights tonight. Please.Twitter: @bbkunplugged99..