Mamelodi Sundowns may have been blowing hot and cold in recent matches but there is no doubting the form of their CAF Champions League opponents on Saturday as Angolan side Petro Atletico come into the game on the back of six straight wins.

The pair get their Group C campaigns under way at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in a match that kicks-off at 21h00.

Petro have scored 15 goals and conceded only two in their excellent recent run‚ while they have just two defeats in their last 28 games in all competitions‚ despite playing in the tough Angolan league and coming through Champions League qualifiers.

It is an ominous record for Pitso Mosimane’s men against a side packed with individual quality‚ as evidence by the stunning goal scored by Ghana defender Inusah Musah in a league game against Primeiro de Maio on Saturday.

Petro have been dealt something of a blow in the build-up to the game with the news that key midfielder Manguxi will miss the match through injury.

But they also have Angola Internationals in defenders Wilson Gaspar‚ Eddie Afonso‚ Mira and Diógenes João‚ and midfielders Herenilson and Além‚ and are fired up after making a return to the Champions league competition for the first time since 2010.

They will fly to Johannesburg on Thursday with an entourage that includes 39 players and team officials for what is seen as one of the club’s biggest matches in many years.

The teams do have some history‚ they played to a 2-2 aggregate draw in the semifinals of the 2001 Champions League‚ which Sundowns eventually won 5-3 on penalties.

That tie saw both sides win their home legs 2-0 before the South African club held their nerve in the shoot-out.

Petro have also met SuperSport twice in the Confederation Cup‚ most recently in 2018 when they played to a 0-0 draw in Luanda‚ before scraping a 2-1 home victory thanks to a late strike from Thabo Mnyamane as Matsatsantsa stared an away goals defeat in the face.

SuperSport also triumphed 2-0 on aggregate when they met Petro in 2013.