Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Petro Luanda of Angola confirmed their status as favourites to win CAF Champions League quarterfinals with 0-0 first-leg away draws on Saturday.
The manner in which the clubs achieved parity differed, however, with former title-holders Sundowns comfortably containing knockout-stage debutants Young Africans of Tanzania.
Petro, whose best Champions League showing was reaching the 2022 semifinals, had a much tougher time, surviving constant pressure to hold TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The matches also differed in style as Young Africans and Sundowns often operated at near walking pace with the heat and humidity in the Indian Ocean city of Dar es Salaam a factor.
Mazembe constantly attacked at speed, using the wings to good effect on a big pitch in the southern mining city of Lubumbashi, but were let down by poor finishing.
The quarterfinals cried out for clinical forwards with the first three producing just one goal, scored by title-holders Al Ahly of Egypt against Simba of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on Friday.
📽️ 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦:
— TotalEnergiesCAFCL & TotalEnergiesCAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) March 30, 2024
🇪🇬 Thanks to Ahmed Nabil Koka’s early goal, @AlAhly celebrates its win over Simba SC in the quarters 1st leg! 🦅#TotalEnergiesCAFCL | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/X1m12es0KL
Despite boasting a line-up stacked with South African and South American stars, Sundowns hit the target with just two of 10 goal attempts, and neither troubled Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra.
When Young Africans opted for route-one attacks down the middle they caused a few anxious moments for Sundowns, with Zambian Kennedy Musonda prominent in front of a 60 000 crowd.
Argentine coach Miguel Gamondi introduced Ivorian Joseph Gnadou and Ghanaian Augustine Okrah in an effort to break the deadlock and give the Tanzanians an aggregate advantage, but to no avail.
Deep in added time, Sundowns were awarded a free-kick just outside the area, but captain and set-piece specialist Teboho Mokoena fired over.
An exciting first leg comes to a close in Tanzania! All to play for in the second leg next week! 👆
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) March 30, 2024
Young Africans 0⃣➖0⃣ Mamelodi Sundowns#Sundowns #DownsLive #TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/xdYUDneX9t
Mazembe, five-time African champions but strugglers in recent seasons, had 28 goal attempts against Petro, but only four on target to the dismay of a capacity 18 000 crowd.
In keeping a seventh consecutive Champions League clean sheet, Petro were thankful to 38-year-old goalkeeper Hugo Marques and the wastefulness of their rivals.
Marques brilliantly pushed away a close-range shot from 18-year-old Oscar Kabwit Tshikomb early in the first half.
Introduced at halftime, Malian Cheick Fofana spurned a great chance for Mazembe midway through the second half, firing over after getting behind the defence.
Sundowns face Young Africans in Pretoria on 5 April and Petro meet Mazembe in Luanda the following day.
