PRETORIA – Wydad Casablanca of Morocco remained on course to defend their CAF Champions League title following a 2-2 draw with Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in Pretoria to book their place in the final.
Wydad will now face off with record champions Al-Ahly, in a repeat of last year’s final.
Egyptian giants Al-Ahly will host the first-leg of the final on June 4 with Wydad at home in the return a week later as the two clubs reprise last year’s decider, which Wydad won 2-0.
A late own goal sent holders Wydad into the final on away goals after holding Sundowns to a 2-2 draw in semi-final second-leg.
Sundowns’ dream of their second continental title went up in smoke, as they couldn’t break down a resilient Wydad side.
Mothobi Mvala scored in his own net in the 83rd minute as he tried to cut off a freekick, an own goal that would prove vital for the Moroccan visitors.
After a goalless first half where Sundowns piled pressure in search of an early goal to calm their nerves, the game burst into life in the second period.
Just four minutes after the restart, skipper Themba Zwane broke the deadlock when he capitalized on an error at the back to slot home.
However, the Moroccans gave a fight and they drew level in the 72nd minute when Ayoub El Amloud put the ball in the net, finishing off a pass from Yahya Jebrane.
With a scoring draw, Sundowns knew that their chances would be slim and they now pushed hard for the second goal.
They were rewarded just seven minutes in when their star striker Peter Shalulile slotted home to give them a 2-1 lead. But that joy lasted only for a few minutes, before Wydad went back on level terms.
Despite pressure in the final minutes of the game to try get a winner, Sundowns’ hopes were dashed as the Moroccans defended with everything.
In Casablanca, nine-man Sundowns held on for a barren draw against Wydad in the first-leg.
Sundowns had to play with 10 men from the 42nd minute after Neo Maema was sent off with a straight red card following a VAR on-field review by the referee. They were further reduced to nine men in the 92nd minute, substitute Marcelo Allende being sent off by another VAR intervention.
Maema had been adjudged to have played dangerously after landing his studs on Amine Aboulfath’s torso as he went down from a challenge. In added time, Allende went studs high on a challenge.
He was initially given a yellow card, but upon visiting the pitchside monitor, the referee upgraded the yellow to a red.
The South African champions endured a difficult evening in Casablanca, but at the end ensured the tie remains evenly poised heading to next weekend’s return fixture.
Masandawana had started well and thought they had scored in the ninth minute when Peter Shalulile ran to a Maema through ball, but the goal was ruled out for offside by the VAR.
The tactical battle continued between the two African heavyweights and Sundowns had another chance when skipper Themba Zwane tried his luck with a shot from distance but it rolled kindly into the keeper’s arms.
In the 24th minute, the hosts had their first effort at goal when Mohamed Ounnajem drifted from the right to the edge of the box, but his eventual shot went over.
Their closest chance was off the freekick that saw Maema sent off. Yahya Attiat Allah curled in the freekick and Ounnajem flicked over the header, but Sundowns keeper Ronwen Williams made a good save.
In the second half, Wydad pinned The Brazilians in their own half, but Sundowns defended well.
They were handed a sniff at goal in the 64th minute when Mothobi Mvala missed a clearance inside the box. Zouheir El Moutaraji picked the ball, but Williams made a brilliant block with his feet one on one.
In the 87th minute, substitute Hamid Ahadad should have done better when a cross from Hocine Benayada found him unmarked at the edge of the six yard box, but his glancing header was wide.
On the opposite end, Shalulile almost produced a moment of magic when he controlled a cross inside the box and tried an acrobatic kick, but the effort flew inches over the bar.
Al-Ahly cruises to 4th straight final
Al-Ahly advanced to a fourth successive CAF Champions League final as they completed a comfortable aggregate victory over Esperance of Tunisia after a 1-0 home win in second-leg of their semi-final tie.
The Egyptian club has won Africa’s top club competition a record 10 times and was runners-up on another five occasions.
They won in 2020 and 2021 but last year was beaten in the final by Wydad Casablanca.
The final is played over two legs next month with the first game in Cairo on June 4 and the return in either Casablanca or Pretoria one week later.
It’s Al-Ahly’s sixth final after 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022 – they won the 2020 and 2021 editions under South African coach Pitso Mosimane.
Winger Hussein el-Shahat scored the solitary goal for the Egyptian Red Devils in the first-half to secure the home victory and progress to their sixth final in seven seasons.
