PRETORIA, South Africa
Mamelodi Sundowns were crowned champions of the inaugural African Football League after a 3-2 aggregate win over Wydad Athletic Club at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday afternoon.
Peter Shalulile and Aubrey
Modiba scored as Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa beat Wydad Casablanca of
Morocco 2-0 in Pretoria on Sunday to win the inaugural African Football League.
Sundowns won the two-leg final
3-2 on aggregate to claim their first African trophy since lifting the CAF
Super Cup six years ago.
It was their first success
against Wydad in a knockout tie having lost twice to them in the semifinals and
once in the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League from 2017.
This was also the first time
more than one goal separated the clubs, with eight of the previous 13 meetings
won by a one-goal margin and the other five drawn.
Success was worth four million
dollars to Sundowns -- the equivalent of winning the South African league five
times.
"I am so lucky to be in
charge of this magnificent group of players," said Sundowns coach Rulani
Mokwena.
"My thanks to the yellow
nation (Sundowns supporters) for their wonderful support from the first minute
to the last.
"It is difficult to talk
now. This is a very emotional time for me. There has been so much heartbreak
after some previous matches against Wydad. Now there is joy."
Recalled after missing Sundowns' previous five matches in the competition, Namibia captain Shalulile broke the deadlock three minutes into first-half added time.
Wydad goalkeeper Youssef el
Motie parried a Teboho Mokoena shot from the edge of the box and Shalulile
reacted quickest to slam the ball into the roof of the net.
The goal finally gave the
capacity 50,000 crowd, which included the presidents of FIFA and CAF, Gianni
Infantino and Patrice Motsepe, something to cheer.
Numerous stoppages for
injuries, overly physical challenges, and time wasting by the Casablanca outfit
combined to deliver an opening half far below what was anticipated.
A wayward Wydad pass in their
own half led to Sundowns' scoring again eight minutes into the second half.
The ball was intercepted by
Modiba, who eluded the challenges of two Moroccans before lifting the ball over
El Motie and into the net.
Needing to score at least once
to force extra time, Wydad became more adventurous and captain Ayoub el Amloud
had a powerful header off a corner saved by goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
Defender El Amloud, deputising
as skipper for suspended midfielder Yahya Jabrane, proved the biggest threat to
Sundowns with another header not far off target.
In previous rounds of the
eight-club competition, Sundowns beat Petro Luanda of Angola and record 11-time
CAF Champions League winners Al Ahly of Egypt.
CAF, who battled to secure
sponsorship for the League, hope to expand it to 24 clubs for the 2024-2025
season.
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