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Three more points.
That’s all Mamelodi Sundowns need in their two remaining CAF Champions League group stage fixtures to secure a place in the quarterfinals of the premier continental club competition.
Sundowns host Lobi Stars of Nigeria at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, on Saturday in their last home match in the round-robin phase.
The 2016 champions need to get to 10 points so that even if their nearest rivals, Asec Mimosas of Ivory Coast, win their two remaining games to finish on equal terms with the South African champions, coach Pitso Mosimane’s side can still advance on a better head-to-head record over the Ivory Coast giants.
Sundowns hammered Asec 3-1 in Pretoria early last month before the two sides yielded a goalless draw in Abidjan in the reverse fixture.
After his side occupied the Absa Premiership top spot for the first time this season with their 3-2 win over Cape Town City in Pretoria midweek, Mosimane told City Press: “If we want to qualify, we can’t wait for the match against Wydad [Athletic of Morocco] in Casablanca [on March 16]. We must wrap it up here at home with Lobi Stars and don’t ask anyone to do us a favour.”
The Brazilians will face Stars four days after their reverse league fixture against City on Tuesday night.
“It is in our hands. We don’t care who does what in our group. The last game of Wydad will probably determine the [final standings] group,” said Mosimane.
Sundowns were in a similar position last season, but their hopes for a quarterfinal berth were scuppered by AC Horoya of Guinea-Bissau.
Mosimane conceded that the setback was the harsh reality of continental club competition.
“The Champions League is an awkward tournament. All you have to do is to win at home, or else forget it.”
Group A leaders Wydad, who are level with Sundowns on seven points, will meet Asec in Abidjan on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates’ bid to progress in Group B is even tougher as the Buccaneers need four points in their remaining games to be guaranteed a ticket to the last eight.
Bucs host the already eliminated FC Platinum of Zimbabwe in their penultimate group fixture at Orlando Stadium on Friday.
Leaders and defending champions Espérance will play at home against Horoya on the same day.
A defeat for the Guinea-Bissau champions in Tunis will benefit Bucs as coach Milutin Sredojevic and his men still have to face Horoya in Conakry in their final round of the group phase on March 16.
Pirates and Platinum played to a goalless stalemate in their first-round clash in Bulawayo early in the new year.
In the other groups, TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egyptian champions Al Ahly, and surprise packages CS Constantine of Algeria and Tanzania powerhouse Simba SC are well in contention for quarterfinal berths.
