Ruthless Mamelodi Sundowns punish Remo Stars in Abeokuta

Femi Fabunmi

Nigerian champions, Remo Stars of Ikenne, endured a tough evening on Sunday as they fell 5-1 to Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in the first leg of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League second preliminary round, played at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta Ogun State.

The visitors showed their pedigree early in the encounter, controlling possession and dictating the pace.

Their dominance paid off in the 15th minute when Tashreeq Matthews opened the scoring with a composed finish after a swift counter-attack that caught the Nigerian defence off guard.

Remo Stars tried to find their rhythm, with captain Dayo Ojo and midfielder Adams Goita pushing forward, but the more experienced Sundowns side doubled their lead in the 42nd minute.

Star striker Peter Shalulile capitalised on a defensive mix-up to send a low shot beyond Remo’s Beninese goalkeeper, who was left rooted to the spot.

Just before the hour mark, Miguel Reisinho extended the lead for the visitors, firing home from close range to make it 3-0. Remo Stars’ head coach,

Daniel Ogunmodede, made several substitutions to steady the game, but the relentless South Africans continued their clinical display.

Substitute Arthur Sales made it 4-0 after receiving a fine pass from Khuliso Mudau, slotting past the onrushing goalkeeper to further silence the home crowd.

The Nigerian side, however, found a moment of consolation in the 75th minute when Olasupo connected beautifully with Adams Goita’s cross to pull one back for the hosts, giving the home supporters something to cheer about.

Any hopes of a late rally were dashed when another substitute, Katlego Ntsabeleng, combined neatly with a teammate on the right wing to seal the emphatic win for the South Africans in the closing stages of the game.

With this result, Remo Stars face an uphill task ahead of the return leg in Pretoria, South Africa, where they must overturn a four-goal deficit to stand a chance of progressing to the group stage of the continental competition.

Despite the loss, Coach Ogunmodede praised his players for their fighting spirit, admitting that the experience would serve as a valuable lesson for the young team.

“We faced a top-quality side with a lot of experience at this level. Our boys gave their best, and we’ll take the lessons from this game into the return leg,” Ogunmodede said after the match.

The decisive second leg will take place next weekend at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, where Remo Stars will aim to restore pride and keep their continental dreams alive.