Mamelodi Sundowns marched into the CAF Champions League semi-finals with a 3-2 aggregate victory, despite suffering a 2-0 defeat to Stade Malien of Mali in the second leg of their quarter-final clash at Stade du 26 Mars on Sunday night.
Bafana Ba Style came into this encounter with a commanding 3-0 cushion from the first leg at Loftus Versfeld Stadium last week. However, despite the advantage, Miguel Cardoso‘s charges looked uncharacteristically complacent in the early stages of the game.
The hosts wasted no time in making their intentions clear, breaking the deadlock just three minutes into the match through Taddeus Nkeng.
Stade Malien continued to dominate possession after the opener, utilising their home-ground advantage to frustrate the South African champions.
In the 16th minute, Nkeng thought he had doubled the lead, but the goal was overturned by VAR for offside, much to the relief of the Chloorkop-based outfit.
Throughout the first half, Sundowns struggled to find their usual rhythm as the home side dictated the tempo and exploited gaps in the visitors’ midfield.
HAMAN MANDJAN NETS SECOND GOAL FOR STADE MALIEN
The pressure eventually told just five minutes before the interval when Haman Mandjan found the back of the net to make it 2-0 in favour of Stade Malien.
The match went into the break with the momentum firmly with the home side, leaving the aggregate score at 3-2.
In the second half, backed by a vocal home crowd, Stade Malien threw everything forward in search of the equaliser that would have sent the tie into a frenzy.
In the 77th minute, Aubrey Modiba was sent off after receiving a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Stade Malien player.
However, the Sundowns’ defense remained resolute. The backline, marshaled by their experienced internationals, managed to snuff out half-chances before they could seriously trouble Ronwen Williams for a third time.
Despite the nervous finish and the second-leg defeat, Masandawana did enough to progress. They remain on track in their quest for a second continental star as they prepare for a high-stakes semi-final showdown against Esperance de Tunis [ES Tunis]
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