Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says they have become a formidable side at home in the Caf Champions League and have improved greatly when playing abroad.
Since they were edged 2-1 by Esperance at Lucas Moripe Stadium in a 2017 group match, Sundowns are unbeaten at home.
The 5-0 hammering of Al Ahly at home in last season’s quarter-finals underlined their supremacy in Pretoria.
The Brazilians appear to have turned Pretoria into a fortress, where they beat USM Alger on Saturday to qualify for the quarter-finals with two games to spare.
“They know that when they come to Pretoria it is not easy‚” said Mosimane as per Times Live.
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“We control the game here and we always have a chance of winning here at home. I think in 2016 nobody really knew us‚ everybody said which team is this but now they know us.
“It is for the first time in our history that we have qualified for the knockout stages with two games to go and we have once again beaten a North African team home and away.”
Mosimane feels that it is not only at home where they are dreaded, but they can also conquer in North Africa where sub-Saharan teams have found it difficult to do well.
Although they have struggled to beat their newly-found rivals Wydad Casablanca away in recent seasons, Sundowns beat Zamalek 2-1 away in a 2016 group match en route to their maiden Champions League crown.
Last month they also edged USM Alger in Algeria.
“We haven’t been winning away games in North Africa but we broke the ice against Zamalek in 2016 and we have done it again against USM,” Mosimane continued.
Sundowns’ next home match is against Wydad Casablanca at the end of January as they seek to maintain their impressive home record.