Lamontville Golden Arrows have already secured a victory away to Mamelodi Sundowns this season in the MTN8 semi-finals. However, they face a significant challenge if they are to repeat that result in Tuesday’s Carling Knockout quarter-final, as Sundowns have maintained an unbeaten home record in the competition for more than 16 years.

Sundowns’ last home defeat in the tournament came in 2010, when Kaizer Chiefs claimed a 1-0 victory in the quarter-finals of the competition, then known as the Telkom Knockout.

Since that loss, Sundowns have played 13 home matches in the tournament, recording 11 victories and two draws. During that run, they have scored 27 goals while conceding just four.

Their defensive record has been particularly impressive, with the Pretoria side keeping clean sheets in each of their last seven home matches in the competition, a run stretching back to 2015.

Despite their unbeaten record in regular time, Sundowns have suffered two home eliminations during this period after goalless draws were followed by penalty shootouts.

The first came against the now-defunct SuperSport United in 2016, while Marumo Gallants knocked them out in similar fashion last year. Sundowns gained some revenge this season by defeating Gallants in the opening round.

Golden Arrows, meanwhile, defeated Sundowns 1-0 in the first leg of their MTN8 semi-final. However, a 3-2 defeat in the return fixture saw them eliminated on the away-goals rule as Sundowns went on to lift the trophy.

Golden Arrows’ main concern has been their lack of goals, although their impressive 4-0 victory over Chippa United in the previous round of the Carling Knockout suggests they could find their scoring touch in this competition.

However, their most recent visit to Sundowns in the tournament ended in disappointment, as they suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat in a first-round encounter in 2024.

Away performances have also been a major weakness for Abafana Bes’thende in the Carling Knockout. Since 2013, they have recorded just one victory in their last seven away matches, suffering six defeats.

Their only success came against SuperSport United in 2019, when they secured a narrow 1-0 win. Across their six defeats, however, they conceded 19 goals, averaging more than three per match.