Mamelodi Sundowns have booked themselves a spot in the CAF Champions League final after securing a 2-0 victory on aggregate against Esperance de Tunis. It was Brayan Leon who scored the only goal of the second leg when Masandawana hosted the Tunisian side on Saturday afternoon at Loftus Versfeld. This came after he had done the same when Downs were hosted in Tunisia.
This result sees Bafana Ba Style head to a CAFCL final for the fourth time, having already won it once in 2026.
The visitors didn’t arrive in South Africa to not challenge their hosts and they fought their way through the 90 minutes. While being denied by the Downs defence in front as they tried to salvage a goal out of the game, their defence were equally at work to deny Masandawana a goal.
The breakthrough, however, came on the 35th minute through Leon. The goal came after Leon was fouled by the goalkeeper in the box, leading to the referee pointing to the spot. Taken by Leon himself, the penalty was blocked by the goalkeeper but Leon found a rebound and slotted it in to put the hosts in front.
The visitors almost levelled matters just before the break when they delivered a cross from the left flank. They connected with a ball to take a shot but it rattled the crossbar to deny them, seeing the hosts heading to interval with an advantage.
The visitors didn’t lose momentum in the second stanza and we’re trying their luck in front of goal. An opportunity to level matters came for them when they took a shot outside the box but the effort sailed over the bar to deny them.
The Taraji were desperate for an away goal and we’re hopeful to get an equalizer but the Downs rearguard were defiant at the back.
Marcelo Allende, who came in as a substitute almost doubled his side’s advantage in the final stages of the match with multiple long-range efforts but the goalkeeper denied him to keep the game at 1-0.
The 1-0 score line was enough for coach Miguel Cardoso’s men to secure the first spot of the final.
How we lined up: Williams(c), Mudau, Cupido, Ndamane, Lunga, Morena, Mokoena, Adams, Sales, Matthews, Leon.
Subs: Onyango, Allende, Ntsabeleng, Aubaas, Mdunyelwa, Saleng, Johannes, Rayners.
Well done to the boyz and the technical team. We didn’t really play as I had expected, our midfield was greatly lacking, they didn’t have control of the game. Well done to Divine Lunga for redeeming himself, he had such a great game. Between him and Keanu Cupido, I couldn’t chose the clear Man of the Match. I don’t know what else Keanu Cupido is supposed to do to get into the national team, he’s such a marvel to watch, he’s even more skill full than Tebogo Mokoena. I really like ball-playing defenders. If they can all have the attitude of Bryan Leon, we’ll easily win this Champions League
Well done to the boys for a splendid job they did yesterday our team is playing nice football and I’m happy for Cardoso because all of us were chasing him even suggesting for the return of Rhulani with his possession football and slowly build ups.
Indeed Cardoso gave us a humble pie and surprised all of us and my worry once he loose,some will say he must go including Flemming Berg poor guy,the media also played a big role in us hating our TD saying all bad things about him but now nobody is bothered to apologise to him and thanks him for bringing a player like Leon in our team but once we loose those calls will surface again forgetting that in soccer they’re three results e.g win ,draw and loose etc and nobody’s entering the field just to loose.The media saw that Cardoso is very good that’s why they didn’t want him so that their favourite teams can get a chance to win the league and I’m happy our Management didn’t obliged.
Another thing fellow Dawanas starting from next season let’s learn to prioritise which trophies do we want,this thing of wanting every trophy including Carling Black Label is too difficult and taxing to our players just imagine if we are still on Nedbank now what will happen to our players in terms of fatigue and I don’t buy that notion of some saying Downs have got a large squad they can play different games simultaneously,let’s go for big fish which is what our eyes are on it now not that we are arrogant but just imagine you fight for Black Label till the final and get R6m at the end what a joke to our players and they also participate in Bafana games,maybe some will say it’s their jobe but we forget they also human beings travelling all African Continent it’s not child’s play.
I still say they must v….ek. The team has probably spent close to a quarter billion in those players, in a league where the winner only gets R20m. The team lost a potential R60m in Ribeiro’s sale, probably because of that TD. Orlando Pirates is playing with local players, with a much cheaper coach and they’re playing such an amazing football. The team needs to be sustainable without the support of Motsepe. With the kind of investment the Motsepes have made into the team, we should be winning all the trophies 🏆 on offer in the PSL, play in the finals of the Championship League every year.
It was all hands on deck kind of a performance.I salute Lunga for redeeming himself after a bad game he had in Tunis.The game was well planned by the technical team and i think also the postponement of our midweek game helped because we never looked tired throughout the game,we were always in control,we were never really threatened.If we can prepare to score minimum of 3 goals in the 1st leg of the final we will be home and dry.This is a final we must refrain from trying to play smart at the back,especially Williams,i saw lots of goals been scored against the teams that insist to play with the ball at the back last week,starting from Bayern vs Madrid,Bertis vs Braga and Man City vs Arsenal.Let us play to score more goals in the final not to have more ball possession.No one remembers that Downs had more ball possession in last season’s champions league final but the world still know that Pyramids won the final.Our ball possession was never even mentioned during CAF awards.Winners of the game are the once getting trophy and recognition.