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JOHANNESBURG. — Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has explained the formula needed to advance from the group stages of the CAF Champions League football.

South African Premiership side Sundowns last week were drawn in Group A with Lobi Stars from Nigeria, ASEC Mimosas of Cote d’lvoire and Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in the continental competition. The 2016 African champions will start their pool campaign with a trip to Stars on the weekend of January 11-13, the same time that another South African side Orlando Pirates travel to neighbouring Zimbabwe to face that country’s champions FC Platinum in their Group B opener.

“The most important thing in the Champions League is winning at home,” Mosimane told his club’s website.

“You must also make sure that in the three games away, you at least get two draws. If you do that, you’re guaranteed qualification in the knock-out stage.

“The best thing you can do is win at home. We have to win at home.

“With how our games are structured, we’re going to play Wydad in our last match of the group. You don’t want to get to that match needing to get a result. “You have to do what you need to do as early as possible. You’ve got to have a good start and hit the ground running with your home games.”

Downs, who trail Absa Premiership leaders Bidvest Wits by eight points with three games in hand, will open 2019 with a clash against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Mosimane’s men have accumulated 22 points from 12 matches in the league. — KickOff.com