Mamelodi Sundowns will be appearing in the CAF Champions League semifinals for the fourth season in a row and a seventh time overall, with a mixed record at this stage of the competition.
They face Esperance of Tunisia in the first leg of their last-four clash away on Sunday, hoping to reach a second successive final.
They have won three and lost three of their previous six semifinal ties, four of which have been against North African opposition. They have lost three of those.
Here is a recap of their semifinal ties down the years.
2001 v PETRO ATLETICO (ANGOLA)
2-2 on aggregate; Sundowns won 5-3 on penalties
Carlo Scott and Daniel Mudau scored in Pretoria as Sundowns won the first leg, but in the return a fortnight later at the Estadio Cidadela, it took Petro only 48 minutes to level the aggregate score with a double from their Congolese import, Kapela Mbiyavanga. The tie went to a penalty shoot-out, with John Tlale saving Petro’s first effort, allowing Sundowns to go through to the final as they successfully converted all five of their spot-kicks. They lost to Al Ahly in the final.
2016 v ZESCO UNITED (ZAMBIA)
Sundowns won 3-2 on aggregate
Jackson Mwanza scored twice for ZESCO United in the first leg in Ndola, and it looked like they would take a 2-0 win until Khama Billiat popped up with what proved a crucial goal for Sundowns three minutes from the end. An early Anthony Laffor strike put Sundowns ahead on the away-goals rule in the second leg, before Percy Tau made sure with a second midway through the second half. They defeated Zamalek in the final.
2018/19 v WYDAD CASABLANCA (MOROCCO)
Wydad won 2-1 on aggregate
Sundowns were away again in the first leg and slipped to a 2-1 defeat despite Anele Ngcongca’s goal just before halftime. Salah Saidi and Badie Aouk scored either side of that for Wydad. With that away goal, Sundowns needed to score only once in the return leg in Pretoria, but a defensive masterclass from the Moroccans meant it finished 0-0 and they advanced.
2022/23 v WYDAD CASABLANCA (MOROCCO)
2-2 on aggregate; Wydad won on away goals
A repeat of the semifinal from four seasons before and again Wydad triumphed, this time on away goals. The first leg in Casablanca finished 0-0 as Sundowns ended with nine men following a 42nd-minute red card for Neo Maema and another in injury time for Marcelo Allende. The Brazilians twice led in the return leg in Pretoria thanks to goals from Themba Zwane and Peter Shalulile, but an 83rd-minute own goal from Mothobi Mvala levelled the game at 2-2 and Wydad advanced. It was all a bit messy from Sundowns’ point of view in both legs.
2023/24 v ESPERANCE (TUNISIA)
Esperance won 2-0 on aggregate
Sundowns would be back the following year and again it would end in disappointment, though they came up against a stubborn and well-organised Esperance side coached by their current boss Miguel Cardoso. Yan Sasse scored the only goal as the Tunisians won the first leg 1-0 in Tunis, before Raed Bouchniba netted as they were victors by the same scoreline in Pretoria. They were well beaten on this occasion.
2024/25 v AL AHLY (EGYPT)
1-1 on aggregate; Sundowns won on away goals
Sundowns had endured plenty of heartache against Egyptian giants Al Ahly down the years, so this was a sweet victory. The first leg in Pretoria finished 0-0 and it looked as though Ahly would advance when Taher Mohamed gave them the lead in Cairo. But in the dying seconds of the game, Sundowns forced an own goal through Yasser Ibrahim to level on the night and go through on away goals. They lost to Pyramids in the final.