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Cape Town - Captain Hlompho Kekana struck the only goal of the game as Mamelodi Sundowns secured a vital away victory in their CAF Champions League clash against USM Alger in Algeria on Saturday.
Kekana scored what proved to be the winner on the hour mark after the South African side showed some resolute defence to keep the score goalless at the half-time break.
The hosts started the match on the front foot and immediately put Sundowns under severe pressure.
Zakaria Benchaa should have given Alger the lead after 20 minutes, but he was brilliantly denied by 'keeper Denis Onyango, who saved from point-blank range.
Onyango was again called into action just after the half-hour mark as Abdelkrim Zouari struck a long-range shot that had the Sundowns shot-stopper scrambling, but he eventually did enough to tap the ball away for a corner.
After a rather torrid first half the visitors showed that they are now an experienced team in the continent and absorbed everything that the home side threw at them.
Masandawana enjoyed more possession at the start of the second stanza and Kekana scored after a rather calamitous mistake by the home defence.
The visiting skipper latched onto a poor back pass and rounded the 'keeper to tuck the ball into an empty net.
The Algerian side almost found the equaliser with 15 minutes remaining after Aymen Mahious unleashed a long-range strike, but Onyango pulled off another wonderful save.
The South African team then again knuckled down and produced a great defensive effort to secure a vital three points.
Sundowns remain unbeaten after three matches in the CAF Champions League group stages with two wins and draw to move up to seven points.
