Cape Town - Former Orlando Pirates defender Lucky Lekgwathi wants Mamelodi Sundowns to lift the CAF Champions League trophy to finally put an end to the stranglehold of North African clubs.
North Africa's teams have dominated the competition, winning the title 22 times out of the last 28 tournaments but the 3-0 first-leg win from the Brazilians over Zamalek has given the Premiership Champions a great chance of ending the dominance.
Lekgwathi ended on as a runner-up against Egyptian giants Al Ahly in 2013 and now claims he understands why the tournament held a priority for the North Africans - since his retirement.
"I did not take the club continental tournaments seriously and I now see why the North African countries wanted them the most," he told African Football.
"This is very special for the club and country, I want to see Sundowns winning it because we will now have two winners in Southern Africa.
"I would like to urge teams like Kaizer Chiefs, SuperSport United and Bidvest Wits to take these tournaments seriously," he said in reference to Pirates 1995 triumph being the only title for a Southern African side.
"In the end, this gives experience to the players and that bodes well for the national team."