Sundowns secure CAF CL semi-finals spot, set for Al Ahly showdown
Mamelodi Sundowns have advanced to the CAF Champions League semi-finals after a goalless draw against Esperance in the second-leg of their quarter-final tie, winning 1-0 on aggregate.
Peter Shalulile’s goal in the first-leg, played last week at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, proved to be the decisive strike.
The Tshwane giants are now set to face Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly in the semi-finals, competing for a spot in the final.
Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso made two line-up changes from the first-leg against Esperance, bringing in Divine Lunga and Arthur Sales for Aubrey Modiba and Thapelo Morena. On the other hand, Esperance also made two changes, with Houssem Yka and Rodrigo Rodriguez replacing Elias Mokwana and Khalil Guenichi.
Right from the kick-off, Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was called into action, making a crucial save in the first minute to deny Mohamed Amine Tougai from close range after a curling free-kick by Youcef Belaili.
ESPERANCE APPLIED INTENSE PRESSURE ON SUNDOWNS
The home side, Esperance, applied intense pressure on Sundowns in the early stages, aggressively seeking an opening goal and consistently creating scoring opportunities.
Meanwhile, the Tshwane giants took a more composed approach on the ball, patiently building their plays as they aimed to find a way through the home side’s defence.
The midfield became the primary battleground, with both teams trading possession and strategically trying to create chances to attack in the final third.
Esperance began to assert themselves in the game, controlling more of the possession while playing with a compact structure that limited Sundowns’ playing space.
In the 35th minute, Khuliso Mudau came to the Brazilians’ rescue, clearing a dangerous cross that Youcef Belaili had delivered after dribbling past Lucas Suarez.
In the 42nd minute, Ribeiro came close to scoring, creating space with a clever shoulder drop before firing a shot inside the box that ultimately went wide.
A minute later, Sundowns came back again with Marcelo Allende hitting the crossbar with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area.
The first-half concluded with the scoreline still locked at 0-0.
Just as they did in the 45 minutes, Esperance began the second-half with significant momentum, aiming to score an early goal in this crucial stage of the match.
Meanwhile, Sundowns continued to pose a threat to the home side’s goal whenever they gained possession, utilising the attacking prowess of Peter Shalulile and Arthur Sales upfront.
The Tunisian giants intensified their attacking efforts, particularly targeting Khuliso Mudau’s flank with a series of crosses. In the 63rd minute, the home crowd erupted as Achref Jebri scored to give Esperance the lead.
However, joy turned to disappointment when the Video Assistant Referee [VAR] reviewed the play and ruled the goal out due to an offside infringement.
While Esperance maintained their attacking pressure in the hope of finding a breakthrough, the Betway Premiership side, Sundowns, remained defensively solid.
In the 84th minute, Esperance goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said made a spectacular save, preventing Peter Shalulile from scoring with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area.
Sundowns successfully maintained a clean sheet until the final whistle of the match.
OTHER RESULTS
Al Ahly secured their spot in the semifinals with a 1-0 victory over Al Hilal, resulting in a 2-0 aggregate win.
Another Egyptian side, Pyramids FC, also advanced to the last four despite losing 2-0 to FAR Rabat in the second leg, as their 4-3 aggregate score proved sufficient.
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