There will be three high stake TotalEnergies CAF Champions League matches on Saturday that will have a huge implication on the path towards qualification to the quarter finals.
At the at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, record champions Al Ahly will look to put their campaign in order when they take on hosts Mamelodi Sundowns in a crunch tie.
The two sides drew 2-2 when they met in Cairo last week and this will be another instalment of what has become an exciting fixture in the Champions League roster.
In Group B, Sundowns are second with seven points, two behind leaders Al Hilal of Sudan while Ahly are third with four points. They are in a must win situation against The Brazilians as defeat or a draw will be detrimental, with two rounds of matches left in the group.
Both teams are on a similar patch over the last five games with three wins and two draws across all competitions. Sundowns come into the fixture off a 1-1 draw away to Stellenbosch in the PSL, a result that saw their winning run come to an end.
Ahly on the other hand come into the game on the run of back to back victories, having beaten Cotonsport 3-0 in the Champions League and Al Mokawloon 2-1 in the Egyptian Premier League.
Overall, Ahly and Downs have met 11 times in continental matches, with the scales almost equally balanced. Sundowns have won three and Ahly four while the remaining ended in draws.
But, of the four wins Ahly have had against Sundowns, they have had none in South Africa. They have drawn three times and lost twice. This will be an opportunity for them to right the wrongs.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Sundowns head coach Rhulani Mokwena will be keen to see his side grab victory and move back top of the group.
"Our focus is always on ourselves. We try to make sure that we always do the best that we can for this football club. We have to focus on ourselves and our performance as well as give ourselves the best opportunity to win the match and get as close as possible to getting to 10 points. We also have to target qualification to the next round," said the coach.
Meanwhile, Group A's destiny will also be in the balances this weekend. Defending champions Wydad Athletic Club will be away to Angola's Petro de Luanda while JS Kabylie host DR Congo's AS Vita Club in Algiers.
The group is evenly poised with all four teams still with a chance of qualification, but Saturday's matches can separate the wheat from the chaff. Wydad lead the group with six points, Petro and Kabylie with four each while Vita are on three.
Wydad are looking to complete a home and away sweep of Petro, having beaten them by a solitary goal in the first leg in Casablanca, with Petro keen on exerting revenge. Last season, the two sides were also drawn in the same group.
Petro won the home leg 2-1. Can they do it again?
Meanwhile, Kabylie will be looking to avenge on Vita, who beat them 1-0 I Kinshasa in the first leg. Playing at home, the Algerian side will be upbeat to battle for a win.
