- African Football League | Results
- Sunday, November 12, 2023
- Sundowns 2-0 Wydad Casablanca (Agg: 3-2)
Denis Onyango’s Mamelodi Sundowns clinched the inaugural African Football League (AFL) title to take home four million dollars, an equivalent of Ugx 15.06 billion.
Sundowns registered a 2-0 victory against Wydad Casablanca in the AFL clash played at Loftus Versveld Stadium, Pretoria on Sunday amidst a huge and active crowd in the stands.
Peter Shalulile and Aubrey Modiba were on target as the hosts bagged all the bragging rights on the day.
The home victory ensured Sundowns are the ultimate aggregate winners since the score between the two sides after the two games was 3-2.
Shalulile gave the home side the lead after guiding the ball into the roof of the net at the stroke of the first half. Wydad’s custodian Youssef el Motie failed to deal with Teboho Mokoena’s effort and the forward converted from a rebound.
Eight minutes into the second half, Modiba doubled the lead with an emphatic finish. Wydad’s attack was intercepted at the centre line as the home side changed defence into attack, Modida was quick to elude Wydad’s two defenders before he chipped the ball into the net.
From that point onward, Wydad were the better side as they tried to do all it took to score that golded away goal but Sundowns were up to the challenge.
Wydad’s captain Ayoub el Amloud came so close but his powerful header was thwarted by Ronwen Williams who was eventually named the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
This is the second continental trophy for Sundowns since clinching the CAF Super Cup six years ago.
To reach the finals, Sundowns had to elude Angola’s Petro de Luanda and Egypt’s Al Ahly before tussling it out with Wydad.