MC Alger vs Mamelodi Sundowns Preview: Kick-off time, TV channel & squad news

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Coach Rhulani Mokwena has confirmed the absence of his centre-back Ayoub Ghezala which leaves him short at the back.

“I have already asked [MC Alger goalkeeper Alexis] Guendouz to train as a centre-back in the past few days. I’m joking,” the 38-year-old said in a presser.

“But listen, since I’ve been here, fortunately or unfortunately, I don’t know how you want to look at it. We have never had all our players available ever since day one. Whether it’s through suspension to national team responsibilities for some, to injuries.

“Very important players like Ghezala, Marwane Khelif, [Mohamed] Zougrana, [Mohamed] Bangoura. Never ever have you heard me complain, not even once," Mokwena added.

“So, it’s a situation that we have to find solutions for. We had a similar situation before, but in this moment we have to try and see.

“If we use Rostom [Dendaoui], Khelif, [Mohamed] Benkhemassa at centre-back, these are the possible options. We will see. But we have a squad, we are a big team, we have no excuses," he concluded.

MC Alger Probable XI: Guendouz, Bouguerra, Abdellaoui, Khelif, Reda, Halaimia, Zunon, Tabti, Benhaoua, Ferhat, Bayazid, Naidji

The defending Premier Soccer League champions Sundowns are set to have Themba Zwane back from a long-term injury. However, Peter Shalulie might be out of action alongside Malibongwe Khoza due to the same reasons.

“When we have quality, it’s easier; when you don’t have it, it’s harder. Unfortunately, this season we had difficult times, not due to a lack of players but because they got injured; we're dealing with a season with traumatic injuries," the tactician told the media.

"But it’s good there are players lifting their level so that we can be at the height of the demand because the demand is very, very high; expectations are always very high, but what is important is that the locker room understands that games are played from the first to the last minute with the focus in the right direction.

“In the right intensity, with persistence, and when you don’t do it, you get close to suffering goals like we did today, because we didn’t press in the right way. We can’t be complacent in the Champions League.

“We have a good reaction, and I think we’re all pleased by the performance we saw – beautiful game, beautiful game," Cardoso concluded.

Sundowns' possible XI: Williams, Mudau, Modiba, Kekana, Cupido, Mokoena, Allende, Santos, Reisinho, Sales, Rayners

In recent outings, MC Alger have managed three wins, a draw, and a loss, which came against Al-Hilal Omdurman in the recent CAF Champions League Group D outing. They fell 2-1 away after conceding late in the game played at the Amahoro Stadium in Rwanda last weekend.

Masandawana are unbeaten in the last five fixtures across all competitions, including the 3-1 victory against St Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo which put them top of their pool.

This is the first time the two teams are meeting in their history, but coach Miguel Cardoso and Rhulani Mokwena met a couple of years ago.

Sundowns played Esperance in the 2023/24 CAF Champions League semi-final, where Cardoso triumphed with a 1-0 aggregate win.

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