Sundowns off to a flying start in TotalEnergies CAF Champions League
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South African champions, Mamelodi Sundowns got their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League campaign off to a flying start, after cruising past Burundi’s Bumamuru with a comfortable 4-0 scoreline in a match played at the Azam Sports Complex in Tanzania.
New Brazilian signing Lucas Ribeiro’s brace along with goals by Lesiba Nku and the ever-green Peter Shalulile fired the former African champions into a positive start to their continental journey that dramatically ended in the semi-finals in last season’s edition.
Bumamuru, who are making their debut in the competition hardly troubled the visitors in what was a one-sided affair out in Tanzania.
Ribeiro opened the scoring in the 12th minute after an unfortunate handball in the box, for the Brazilian to convert with a cheeky finish.
Soon thereafter, Teboho Mokoena attempted his trademark free kicks from a distance which went narrowly over the bar. The hosts tried matching their opponents but struggled to get the ball from the exceptional possession play by Sundowns.
Ribeiro again found the back of the net in the 37th minute with a sublime finish before Nku put matters beyond reach just before half time with a clinical finish inside the box to make it three before the break.
Coming back from the recess, the Brazilians took the foot off the pedal a bit but still maintained possession, starving their opponents of any sniff of a goal.
The final nail in the coffin was hammed in by Namibian dangerman, Peter Shalulile who made an impressive return from injury with an 80th minute goal for his side.
The two sides meet in the return leg in Pretoria in two weeks’ time, where Sundowns will be looking to finish off the job in front of their home fans.
