After almost two months of break, the 2017 CAF Champions League resumed over the weekend with eight teams participating in the quarterfinals.
Among the teams fighting for a place in the semifinals was South Africa ABSA Premiership club, Mamelodi Sundowns, where Liberian international winger Anthony Snoti Laffor plays.
Sundowns, the defending champions of the CAF Champions League, took on African heavyweight, Wydad Casablanca of the Morocco Botola Pro League, in the quarterfinal’s most anticipated match.
With Wydad known as one of the best teams on the African continent, the match was no doubt a tough one for the Sundowns, who played without three of their key players including Laffor, who had a brilliant performance in helping the club win the 2016 title.
The Liberian forward was ruled out of the competition with an ankle injury he sustained in the Sundowns’ last ABSA Premiership game against Free State Stars, which ended with a 2-1 win.
Despite the injury to their star, the five-time South African ABSA Premiership champions went against all odds as they managed a narrow 1-0 win on home soil. The Pretoria-based club managed to escape with all three points through Ivorian striker Krahire Yannick Zakri.
After a difficult first half that ended goalless, Zakri scored in the 71st minute to give the Sundowns a much-needed win and a goal that would later separate the two teams by the end of the game.
The Sundowns may have won at home, but their journey to the semifinals appears far ahead of the return leg this weekend. The Brazilians, as the Sundowns are nicknamed, will have to defend their narrow lead against the Moroccans on Saturday, September 23, when the two meet at the Mohammed V Stadium.
Laffor, who is set to return from the ankle injury before the return leg in Morocco, told The Bush Chicken his side managed a win at home but there’s a lot for them to do.
“It was important that we won at home, but the score is so narrow that we still have a lot to do,†he said. “Wydad is [a] big club and they play very well at home. Defending the one goal won’t be an easy task, but we are confident that we will go through.â€
The game is scheduled for September 23, but the Sundowns left South Africa for Morocco on Monday, September 18 to begin their early preparations.
The ‘Brazilians’ early travel to the North African state will allow them to adjust to the weather condition and playing environment.
Featured photo courtesy of the Mamelodi Sundowns
