Mamelodi Sundowns' Ronwen Williams encourages teammates during their CAF Champions League quarter-final encounter as they look to finish the job in Rabat on Sunday.
Image: BackpagePix
Mamelodi Sundowns head into the decisive leg of their CAF Champions League clash against AS FAR Rabat with calm belief, as veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango insists that recent travel disruptions are firmly behind them.
The Brazilians carry a 1-0 advantage into Morocco after a disciplined first-leg display in Pretoria, but the return fixture presents a far more hostile and unpredictable challenge.
ASFAR’s home atmosphere, combined with the pressure of a continental final, means Sundowns will need composure as much as quality to complete the job.
Their preparations were briefly disrupted earlier in the week when the squad’s travel plans were thrown into chaos.
A chartered flight scheduled to depart OR Tambo International Airport was unable to take off due to complications surrounding a landing permit in Morocco, forcing a delay that tested the club’s logistics and rhythm.
Eventually, permission was secured with assistance from South African authorities, and the team made an unexpected detour through Gabon before finally arriving in Morocco.
Despite the disruption, Sundowns have insisted that the focus never shifted away from the task at hand.
For Onyango, the experience was inconvenient but not destabilising — and certainly not something that will impact performance on the pitch.
“Yeah, it’s quite a challenging journey to come to Morocco,” said Onyango.
“Of course, we had a little bit of a hiccup on the first day that we had. We wanted to travel, but eventually we travelled.
“And the team was very positive because this is football, it happens and it was not in our hands to grant us how we travel.
“But eventually everyone was looking forward and we’re here. We’re just focusing on the game regardless of whatever happened before.
“We just need to give our best and make the supporters and South Africans happy.”
The message from the Sundowns camp is clear: external factors will not define their performance in Rabat.
Instead, the focus shifts to game management, discipline and ensuring they do not allow ASFAR to turn the tie early with a strong home start.
Sundowns, the 2016 African champions, have built their reputation on controlling matches away from home in difficult environments, and this final represents another test of that identity.
Protecting a narrow lead in a high-pressure continental final requires defensive organisation, experience, and moments of composure under sustained pressure.
ASFAR, meanwhile, will look to capitalise on home advantage and overturn the deficit, making the opening phases of the match crucial in determining momentum.
For Sundowns, leadership figures like Onyango will be vital — not only for shot-stopping, but for calming the team during inevitable periods of pressure.
In the end, the message from the Sundowns camp is one of unity and clarity.
The travel drama is over, the distractions are gone, and the objective is simple: deliver a performance worthy of African champions and bring the trophy back to Pretoria.