Mamelodi Sundowns, where former Uganda Cranes goalkeeper Denis Onyango plies his trade, are just one step away from the CAF Champions League quarterfinals.
With five rounds of group-stage matches completed, Sundowns sit second in Group B with eight points.
A draw in their final match will be enough to seal their spot in the knockout stages.
The South African side trails Moroccan outfit FAR Rabat by just a point, making their upcoming clash in South Africa on January 19 a crucial top-of-the-table decider.
Sundowns have accumulated their eight points from two wins, two draws, and one defeat.
While Onyango has yet to make an appearance in the competition this season, remaining an unused substitute in all games, his team is on the verge of advancing to the next round.
Meanwhile, Onyango’s fellow Ugandan international, Khalid Aucho, is still fighting to keep Young Africans’ CAF Champions League hopes alive.
After a rocky start to the campaign, where they collected just one point from their opening three fixtures, Yanga have rebounded with back-to-back victories over TP Mazembe and Al-Hilal Omdurman.
Aucho’s Yanga are currently third in Group A with seven points after five matches.
Their qualification hopes now hinge on a do-or-die encounter against Algeria’s MC Algers, who sit second in the group with eight points.
This match, scheduled for January 18, will decide whether Aucho and his teammates can secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
The Uganda Cranes captain has battled injury issues, missing the opening match of the competition before featuring as an unused substitute in the second.
However, he has started in Yanga’s last three matches and will be crucial in their quest for progression.
As the tournament heads into its final stages, both Onyango’s Mamelodi Sundowns and Aucho’s Young Africans will be aiming to represent Uganda in the CAF Champions League knockout rounds.
