Staff Reporter.
Mamelodi Sundowns played to a goalless draw against Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final at the Stade Mohammed on Saturday evening.
Sundowns saw two players sent off and a goal disallowed all through video assistant referee (VAR) intervention in the CAF Champions League first leg clash.
The hosts showed early attacking intent, and their pressure forced the visiting Sundowns to concede a corner in the fourth minute. However, the set piece did not yield dividends after the South Africans dealt effectively with the threat.
Sundowns gradually came into their own as Wydad seemed content to sit back and allow the opposition to take the game to them. In the ninth minute, Sundowns’ defence hoofed an innocuous kick up field, and Namibian striker Peter Shalulile picked up the ball just past the halfway line.
The Brazillians suffered a setback two minutes ahead of the halftime break when attacking midfielder Neo Maema has harshly red-carded, much to the delight of the Wydad players.
A minute later, Wydad was denied by Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams who pulled off an acrobatic save when he turned Mohammed Ounajem’s on-target header away for a corner. This was far and away Wydad’s best chance for a first-half score.
In the second half, Williams came to Sundowns’ rescue again on the hour mark when he dealt with a fierce drive from Wydad defender Zouhair El Moutaraji.
As the second half wound to its close, Wydad were enjoying the benefit of the numerical advantage, and for the first time, they had the lion’s share of possession.
Things went from bad to worse for Sundowns when Marcelo Allende was also sent off for a nasty tackle on Wydad defender Arsène Zola in stoppage time.
The second leg will be played next Saturday at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
Meanwhile Esperance head coach Nabil Maaloul has resigned from his position, barely 24 hours after they were beaten 3-0 by Al Ahly in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final in Rades.
The tactician said he made the decision ‘in the best interest of the club’, with their hopes of a continental title now hanging in the balance following the heavy home defeat to the record African champions.
“I decided to submit my resignation to the club president with the best interest of the team at heart,” the tactician said in his resignation statement.
“I understand the sadness and disappointment of Esperance supporters after this loss and I apologize to all of them for not being able to bring joy to their hearts. In the recent period, the task has not been easy for my technical staff and I and the players as well. I tried everything in my power to find solutions,” the tactician noted.
Esperance need a win of more than four goals next weekend in Cairo to overturn the first leg deficit and qualify for the final.
Compiled by Lehlohonolo Lehana.