Mamelodi Sundowns’ opponents in their opening clash of the African Champions League group phase this weekend are no strangers to South Africa.
St Eloi Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo have been to the country five times previously for matches in continental club competition and also won the Vodacom Challenge.
They first played in the Champions League in South Africa in the third round in 2005 against SuperSport United to decide a place in the group phase.
Lupopo won 2-0 at home in the first leg but were beaten by the same scoreline in the return, forcing the game to penalties where Pitso Mosimane’s SuperSport emerged 3-2 winners.
In the 2012 African Confederation Cup, they took on Black Leopards in the second round and were beaten 6-4 on aggregate after losing 4-2 in Venda and then drawing the return match 2-2 at home.
In the 2022-23 season, Lupopo were in the same Confederation Cup group with Marumo Gallants, who beat them both home (2-1) and away 3-2 at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace.
In the following Confederation Cup campaign, they were knocked out in the second round by Sekhukune United, who won 3-1 at home in the first leg and held out for a 1-1 draw in the return.
All of these past results made even more of an upset Lupopo’s success last month over Orlando Pirates in the second round of the Champions League when they booked their berth in the group phase by edging the much fancied Buccaneers on post-match penalties.
Good news for Sundowns is that Lupopo have lost all five of their African club competition matches on South African soil.
But Lupopo were winners of the pre-season four-team Vodacom Challenge in 2002, where they edged Pirates in the semifinal in Mmabatho and then beat Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 in the deciding game in Durban, where Kapamba Musasa scored the winner and was promptly signed by AmaKhosi.
They were invited back the next year to defend their trophy but were hammered 4-1 by Chiefs in the semifinal and 1-0 by Pirates in the bronze medal tie.
Sundowns have met Congolese opposition 22 times across the Champions League, Confederation Cup, and Super Cup, and their overall record is favourable: 10 wins, seven draws, and five defeats, scoring 28 goals and conceding 19.
But this will be their first meeting with Lupopo, who become the fourth DR Congo club that Sundowns have faced in African competition after TP Mazembe (W7 D2 L3), AS Vita Club (W2 D2 L2), and Maniema Union (W3 D1).