By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Mamelodi Sundowns clinched a spot in the final of the CAF Champions League after holding Al Ahly to a 1-1 draw in Cairo on Friday night, progressing on the away goal rule.
After a tense 0-0 stalemate in the first leg in Pretoria, it was Al Ahly who drew first blood in the return leg at the Cairo International Stadium.
Taher Mohamed fired the hosts into the lead midway through the first half, smashing home from outside the box after being teed up by the lively Emam Ashour.
But Sundowns showed their resilience and turned the tie on its head in the closing stages.
With ten minutes remaining, a low cross caused panic in the Ahly defence, resulting in Yasser Ibrahim inadvertently turning the ball into his own net under pressure from Peter Shalulile.
It’s their third final of the competition in their history and first since winning the cup in 2016, which to date is their only star in the club’s history.
Meanwhile FIFA has imposed a new transfer ban on Zamalek due to the club’s ongoing failure to settle outstanding dues.
While FIFA.s official statement did not reveal specific details, Zamalek board member Amr Adham confirmed that the latest ban is linked to unpaid dues owed to Moroccan striker Khalid Boutaib.
The club still owes €983,000 out of an original €2.4 million owed to the player, who joined Zamalek in January 2019.