Mamelodi Sundowns defender Grant Kekana believes their 1-0 victory against Esperance Sportive de Tunis provides a significant advantage for the Brazilians heading into the second leg, and he is confident they can secure qualification in Tunisia.

Sundowns defeated Esperance 1-0 in the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarter-final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday, thanks to Peter Shalulile’s second-half goal.  

The two sides are set to meet again next week to determine the outcome. However, Kekana is optimistic that his team can overcome Esperance in Tunisia.

“I think this 1-0 victory is a huge confidence boost to us,” Kekana said. 
 
“They wanted to be on the transition, and they were cheating a lot at front. But I think we managed to overcome that, and hopefully, we do so again in the second leg.”

As the Brazilians prepare to face the Tunisian giants at Stade Olympique Hammadi-Agrebi in Radès next week, the Bafana Bafana defender added that coach Miguel Cardoso has warned them about the challenging atmosphere they can expect in the North African country.

“We know what to expect when we go there, and coach has warned us,” he added. 
 
“But also, we’ve been in the CAF for many years, we know what to expect, and we’ll go there and make our supporters proud.”

If Sundowns overcome Esperance, they will reach the Champions League semi-finals for the third consecutive season, a record for the club

Last season, the Brazilians were eliminated by Esperance in the semi-finals, with Cardoso at the helm before joining Sundowns in December. In the 2022/23 season, Sundowns were eliminated by Wydad Casablanca on the away goals rule, following a decisive own goal by Mothobi Mvala.