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Sundowns crowned inaugural AFL champs

todayNovember 12, 2023 244

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South African league champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, became the first side to win the African Football League (AFL) title after beating Wydad Casablanca 2-0 in Pretoria on Sunday.

The South African side won the second-leg of the final match and won the game 3-2 on aggregate after losing the first-leg of the game in Casablanca seven days ago.

Sundowns went into the home leg trailing 2-1, but turned the tie around- thanks to goals from Peter Shalulile and Aubrey Modiba at a raucous Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

The hosts started slowly as Wydad disrupted their rhythm through intensive pressing and fouls.

But Sundowns’ persistence paid off when Shalulile pounced on the rebound after Youssef El Motie parried Teboho Mokoena’s shot in first-half stoppage time.

Five minutes after the break, Modiba intercepted a wayward pass before racing through to double Sundowns’ advantage.

With Wydad now needing two goals to win the final, Sundowns cleverly slowed the game down. Multiple players took intentional yellow cards for time-wasting in the tense finale.

Wydad almost set up a grandstand finish when Ayoub El Amloud headed narrowly over with nine minutes left.

But Sundowns held firm to complete an aggregate victory that makes them the first AFL winners after the new club competition was launched this season.

Coach Rulani Mokwena masterminded a tactical plan that overcame Wydad’s early pressure before ruthlessly capitalising on errors.

The victory caps a historic continental triumph for Sundowns, who have now become the first champions of the new African Football League (AFL). Article by Ntsako Mkhari

Written by: Lindiwe Mabena

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