South African club Mamelodi Sundowns reached the
CAF Champions League final on Saturday — five
months after being eliminated from the competition.
The Pretoria side popularly known as the ‘Brazilians’
defeated ZESCO United of Zambia 2-0 at home to
qualify 3-2 on aggregate for the final against
Wydad Casablanca of Morocco or Zamalek of Egypt.
Liberian Anthony Laffor gave the 2001 Champions
League runners-up an early lead at Lucas
‘Masterpieces’ Moripe Stadium and Percy Tau
notched the second goal midway through the second
half.
Reaching the final marks a remarkable turnaround
for Sundowns after they were knocked out in the
final qualifying round for the group stage by V Club
of the Democratic Republic of Congo last April.
Just hours before the mini-league draw was made in
Cairo, however, the Kinshasa outfit were kicked out
of the premier African club football competition for
fielding a suspended player.
Reinstated Sundowns made the most of the lucky
break to top a group including Zamalek and
Enyimba of Nigeria. The fourth team, Entente Setif
of Algeria, were banned after crowd trouble in their
opening group game.
Many Sundowns players had to hastily cancel
holidays as the start of the Champions League group
phase coincided with the South African close season.
Coach Pitso Mosimane, a former national team
striker, scrapped plans to watch the centenary
edition of the Copa America tournament in the
United States.
He made two changes for the second leg of the
semi-final, including starting with talented but
temperamental Laffor.
The decision paid off after only five minutes on a
perfect night for football as the Liberian pounced on
a weak headed clearance and slammed the ball into
the net.
ZESCO had chances to level, notably when two-goal
first-leg star Jackson Mwanza broke through the
middle only to see a lob over Ugandan goalkeeper
Denis Onyango land on the roof of the net.
Tau struck with 64 minutes gone, nodding a cross
past goalkeeper and captain Jacob Banda from close
range while centre-backs David Odhiambo and Ben
Adama Banh expected an offside call.
Those who watched the match included Patrice
Motsepe, a mining magnate who bankrolls Sundowns.
