Al Hilal coach praises his players composure after Sundowns clash

The Sudanese giants showed resilience at Loftus Versfeld to come away with a point that keeps them level with Sundowns at the top of the group on five points after three matches.

MC Alger and St Eloi Lupopo remain rooted on one point each and are set to face off in their own round-three encounter.

Al Hilal made a strong start to the match, taking the lead in the 15th minute through Abdelrazig Omer Taha.

However, their advantage was short-lived as Arthur Sales responded for Sundowns less than ten minutes later to restore parity.

The Brazilians went on to take the lead just after the hour mark through a stunning long-range strike from Teboho Mokoena, seemingly putting the hosts on course for victory.

But Hilal once again showed their fighting spirit, with Omer Taha completing his brace to silence the home crowd and secure a crucial away point for the Blue Wave.

Reghecampf admitted his side had moments of vulnerability, particularly in defence, but felt the overall outcome reflected the difficulty of playing away against one of the continent's strongest teams.

"I think it's a good result for us," Reghecampf told SABC Sport.

"We didn't defend very well at certain moments and made small mistakes, that's why we conceded. But after taking the lead we didn't take advantage, so I'm happy with the 2–2 draw, especially because Sundowns fought back strongly."

The Romanian coach also highlighted the quality within Group C, suggesting the battle for qualification remains wide open despite Sundowns and Hilal setting the early pace.

"You must understand Sundowns and Hilal are the two best teams in the group," he added.

"MC Alger can also come back with an amazing team. It will be a very nice competition with good games — that's why they call this the group of death."

Attention now shifts to next week's reverse fixture, where Sundowns will travel to Sudan for the round-four clash, a match that could prove pivotal in shaping the final standings in Africa's elite club competition.