Mamelodi Sundowns took a crucial advantage in the African Champions League final, defeating Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces 1-0 in the first leg. Left-back Aubrey Modiba scored the only goal as the South African champions edged closer to next week’s deciding match in Rabat.
Modiba broke the deadlock with a strike from a free kick taken from outside the penalty area, finding the net eight minutes before halftime. The finish gave Sundowns a narrow lead to carry into the return encounter next Sunday.
Sundowns could have made the scoreline more comfortable, though. Their Colombian forward Brayan León missed three promising opportunities in a short spell early in the second half. That period of play resumed only after a 20-minute pause, triggered by a malfunctioning VAR system.
After the halftime interval, both sides waited before the match restarted, and then chose to continue without VAR. The decision came amid another high-profile incident involving officiating technology in a major African final.
Earlier this year, the African Cup of Nations final in Rabat between Morocco and Senegal was also marred by disputed VAR calls, along with a walk-off by Senegal.
Sunday’s game at Loftus Versfeld was officiated by Jean-Jacques Ndala of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the same referee who oversaw that contest. However, he was unable to address the problems created by the faulty technology.
Teboho Mokoena, a midfielder for Sundowns, came close again near the end. Five minutes from full time, he tested the woodwork with another free kick.
Sundowns, who finished as runners-up in the Champions League last season, have previously won the competition only once—back in 2016. Royal Armed Forces, representing the Moroccan army, were the winners of the former African Champions Cup 41 years ago.
