Sundowns favourites to advance to Confed Cup group stages

18 May 2016 - 09:49 By NICK SAID

Mamelodi Sundowns go into tonight's second leg of their African Confederation Cup fourth-round tie with Ghanaian side Medeama SC as favourites to advance, but are up against a team with a formidable home record.Sundowns lead 3-1 and are hoping to book a place in the group stages of the competition for the second time in their history.But their opponents have won all six home matches they have played in the Confederation Cup, five of those by a 2-0 scoreline and one 3-0, which would be enough to see them past Sundowns.A late flurry of goals from Leonardo Castro, Khama Billiat and Cuthbert Malajila in the final 10 minutes of the first leg in Atteridgeville has put Pitso Mosimane's side in the driving seat.Medeama's Swedish coach, Tom Strand, walked out on the side before they had even checked out of their Pretoria hotel. Evans Adortey, coach of Ghana's women's team, is now in charge.The side have not played a fixture since their match in South Africa 10 days ago, having been already knocked out of the FA Cup in Ghana, with that competition taking centre stage in the west African country at the weekend.Medeama's overall form might be patchy, but at home they are a force to be reckoned with, with just a single defeat on their own ground in their last 31 matches dating back over two years.They have yet to concede in African club competitions at home and Mosimane admits he is worried by the away goal his side gave up in the first leg."Medeama had a goal in South Africa and that is a great headache to us," Mosimane told reporters."That away goal is a great advantage for them. They will try to make good use of it and that is a problem."If the first leg had ended without Medeama having a goal, it would have been different. It is difficult but my boys are ready for the job."Adortey agrees the away goal for his side could be crucial and is "confident" his side can turn the tie around."It is good we had an away goal there. We just have to capitalise on it and try to score two, three goals," Adortey said."We have to get three goals because that will be more secure, but I am happy we have an away goal going into the second leg and am confident we will deliver."..

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