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Homeground advantage for SA teams

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Johannesburg - Four South African representatives in CAF inter-club competitions will want to finish off the job at home next weekend.

After experiencing mixed fortunes in the first legs of their respective competitions, SuperSport United, Cape Town City, Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits will hope to use their homeground advantage to book their places in the group stages of the tournaments.

City, the one side to have won away from home – in Mozambique – have one leg in the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup. Coach Benni McCarthy has already said he wants to go as far as possible in the competition. His side did the job when they won 1-0 away without his services as he was busy with his Uefa Pro Licence course in Manchester in the UK.

The Citizens are in pole position to book their place in the group stages and will be out to finish off Costa do Sol next Sunday.

After drawing away from home, SuperSport United are also in a good position to advance after their goalless draw against Atlético Petróleos de Luanda.

United, who are still reeling from their participation in last year’s tournament with their Premiership status not guaranteed, will want to do better than last year when they lost to TP Mazembe in the final.

The game will give interim coach Kaitano Tembo a chance to get his combinations right ahead of the final stretch of the league campaign, during which they need to win matches to secure their status. With their next league game only next month, Tembo might be tempted to give most of his key players a chance to get game time.

After failing to get positive results away from home, the two representatives in the Champions League – Sundowns and Wits – will want to make amends.

The Students, who lost 1-0 away to Angola’s Primeiro de Agosto, hope to reverse the scoreline and book their spot in the group stages. Gavin Hunt has made it clear that he takes the tournament seriously and his charges will give it their all.

With their Premiership status already secured, the Clever Boys will use the tournament to atone for their earlier mishap in the domestic league.

Former champions Sundowns managed a goalless draw away in Rwanda and Pitso Mosimane’s side now has to do the job at home. But Mosimane is well aware of the danger Rayon Sports pose. The Rwandans need a scoring draw to advance, and the Brazilians need an outright victory to book their place in the group stages.

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