Mamelodi Sundowns secured a 1-0 win over AS FAR Rabat in the first leg of their CAF Champions League final on Sunday evening.
Fixture: Mamelodi Sundowns vs AS FAR Rabat
Score: 1-0
Goalscorers: Maema (37′)
The Brazilians were boosted by the return of the Keanu Cupido, who had broken his arm against Kaizer Chiefs two weeks ago, according to coach Miguel Cardoso, who also went for Kutlwano Letlhaku in the attack following Tuesday’s loss to TS Galaxy.
Cardoso did not have one single defensive minded midfielder on the park as Teboho Mokoena was partnered with Nuno Santos and Jayden Adams, who did not feature against Galaxy on Tuesday due to his suspension as he looked to control the contest.
While Sundowns did control the possession, AS FAR were quite happy to sit back and soak up all the pressure while remaining a big threat on the encounter and set-pieces, as Yunis Abdelhamid went closes with a headed effort at the midway point of the first half.
Sundowns, however, dominated in open play but managed to get the breakthrough via a dead-ball situation in the 37th minute when the returning Aubrey Modiba found the back of the net with a superb free-kick from around 30 yards out, leaving goalkeeper Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti with no chance.
There was a big delay to the start of the second half as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) machine had broken down and while Sundowns players were happy to continue, there was initial push-back from AS FAR’s players before they eventually agreed to resume the second half.
The delay didn’t change Sundowns’ approach as they continued to dominate possession in search of more goals, but they were let down by their finishing as both Bryan Leon and Letlhaku squandered big chances the 18-yard area.
Cardoso opted to freshen up his stall with 15 minutes to play as Monnapule Saleng came on in place of Letlhaku to add some pace and skill down the left flank, while Divine Lunga was also introduced to replace Modiba, who picked up an injury.
There would be no scares for Sundowns in the closing stages of the second half as they managed the game well until the final whistle, as they now head to Morocco with a slender advantage.
Key Performers:
Aubrey Modiba made his return to continental action in fine style with a superb free-kick in the first half. The Bafana Bafana international was also a constant threat down the left flank and was solid defensively.
The entire Sundowns defence deserves a mention as Cupido, Khuliso Mudau and Khulumani Ndamane put in a superb shift to deny the Moroccans any clear scoring chances in the box.
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