South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns crushed record champions Al Ahly 5-2 in Pretoria on Saturday to become the second team to confirm their place in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The Brazilians were in emphatic form totally dominating the Egyptians to move to the top of Group B with 10 points, six ahead of Ahly who remain third. Sundowns have now realised an unassailable lead from third and have affirmed their place in the last eight.
Marcelo Allende, Themba Zwane, Teboho Mokoena and a Peter Shalulile double in the
second half gave Sundowns the massive victory with Ahly’s consolations scored by Sherif Mohamed and Percy Tau.
The South African side were fast off the blocks and just three minutes into the game, they were leading when Allende scored with a brilliant low drive from distance.
But, Ahly worked their way back into the game and Sherif struck them level in the 13th minute.
The pace of the game was high, with each side giving in a good account. But it was Sundowns who would get the next goal, Zwane striking the hosts 2-1 up in the 24th minute.
Sundowns kept their dominance and took a 3-1 lead at the
break, when Mokoena struck a brilliant goal from distance five minutes to halftime.
In the second half, Ahly started off with a double substitutes, Magdy Afsha and Ahmed Abdelkader coming in for Kendouci and Mohamed Taher.
The changes had an impact as Ahly were more effective offensively and they clawed one goal back on the hour mark when Tau finished off an assist from Ali Maaloul.
Ahly’s hopes of a comeback were however dashed in the 71st minute when Shalulile scored the first of his pair, before he completed his brace in the 88th minute with a shot on the turn inside the box. –Cafonline
