South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns will be aiming to make history when they face Remo Stars in the CAF Champions League second round, first leg on Sunday at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta.
The reigning South African champions will be looking to become only the second team from their country to earn an away victory in Nigeria, a feat last achieved by Orlando Pirates in 1996.
Nicknamed Bafana ba Style, Sundowns are arriving in Nigeria brimming with confidence. Eleven of their players were part of the Bafana Bafana squad that recently secured qualification for their second-ever FIFA World Cup appearance after topping Group C, a group that also featured Nigeria.
The club also had five representatives at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Uruguay, further underscoring their squad depth.
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While Remo Stars advanced to this stage by comfortably defeating Comoros’ US Zilimadjou 5–0 on aggregate, Sundowns were drawn a bye in the preliminary round, owing to their high ranking in African club football.
The first leg will be crucial for Remo Stars, who will play away from their traditional home in Ikenne. The club has urged fans to turn out in large numbers by throwing the gates open for the encounter, hoping to create a vibrant atmosphere in Abeokuta. Remo Stars head coach Daniel Ogunmodede had stated in August that his dream was to defeat Sundowns.
Sundowns completed their final training session before departing for Nigeria, determined to end South Africa’s poor away record in Nigeria. Of the eight previous visits by South African clubs, only one has produced a victory, Orlando Pirates’ 1–0 win over Shooting Stars in 1996. Pirates eventually lost the return leg in South Africa and were eliminated 4–3 on penalties.
Since then, South African teams have failed to secure a single away win in Nigeria in seven attempts. However, with the quality in Sundowns’ current squad, including Ronwen Williams, Dennis Onyango, Teboho Mokoena, and Mothobi Mvala, they will be optimistic about getting a positive result.
On the other hand, Remo Stars have endured a shaky start to the 2025/26 NPFL season, losing three of their seven matches, including a narrow defeat to Katsina United over the weekend.
This marks Remo Stars’ first-ever appearance in the second round of the CAF Champions League, and they will be eager to make the most of it by overcoming the formidable Sundowns and booking a place in the prestigious group stage of the competition.
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