Sundowns through to CCL group stages after 15-1 aggregate win
Mamelodi Sundowns booked a place in the CAF Champions League group stages after thumping Seychelles side La Passe 7-1 on Friday evening.
Sundowns won the first leg of the Champions League second preliminary round match on Sunday 7-0, and their emphatic home win on Friday took their aggregate tally to 14-1.
STRUCK TWICE
The first half was a Cassius Mailula show as the academy graduate struck twice in his first start of the season.
But it was Thapelo Morena who gave the home side the lead in the 7th minute after being set up by Gaston Sirino.
Unlike Sunday’s contest, Sundowns conceded a goal in the first half courtesy of a Florent Rajaoassy 38th-minute header.
However, Mailula restored Sundowns’ lead with a cheeky backheel off a Sphelele Mkhulise pass.
He added another, this time with his chest at the stroke of half time.
The 21-year-old was one of six changes made by Sundowns going into the game. Reyaad Pieterse, Mosa Lebosa, Lebo Maboe and Bongani Zungu were some of the players handed rare starts on Friday.
BIGGEST WIN
Sundowns went to the break leading 3-1, and second-half substitutes Gift Motupa, Hashim Domingo, and Neo Maema also found the back of the net to add to their tally.
Motupa struck twice as Sundowns sealed one of their biggest wins on the continent.
Moroccan defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil finally made his debut for Sundowns when he came on for Aubrey Modiba in the second half.
While Sundowns were progressing, it was the end of the road for Cape Town City, who failed to overturn a 3-0 deficit from the first round.
City were beaten 1-0 by Angola’s Petro de Luanda, who made sure the job was done in Cape Town over the weekend. The result saw them lose 4-0 on aggregate, ending their journey on the continent.