Simba roars past champions, Onyango’s Sundowns make a statement

Mamelodi Sundowns put one foot into the semifinal with big win. (courtesy)

CAF CL Simba roars past champions, Onyango’s Sundowns make a statement

Fred Mwambu 12:44 - 24.04.2023

Mamelodi Sundowns put one foot in the semi-final of the CAF Champions League with a huge win.

Denis Onyango’s Mamelodi Sundowns honoured Nelson Mandela in style as they raided CR Belouizdad for a 4-1 win in the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarterfinal.

The team’s head coach Rulani Mokoena had promised that they would honour South Africa’s founding father inside the newly-built state-of-the-art facility named after Mandela.

Namibian striker Peter Shalulile put up a man-of-the-match performance with a brace and an assist in the rout.

The striker opened the scorers as early as the 6th minute and then set up Neo Maema in the 20th minute.

Miloud Rebai pulled one back for the hosts at the stroke of halftime but Shalulile and Cassius Mailula made sure the Brazilians scrapped a win and decent goal difference ahead of the second leg this weekend.

Simba roar

In Dar Es Salaam, Simba continued with their decent form with a shock 1-0 win over defending champions Wydad Casablanca in Dar Es Salaam.

Congolese midfielder Jean Othos converted in from Denis Kibu Prosper’s shot that was skewing away for the lone winner in the 30th minute.

The side coached by former Vipers SC Coach Roberto Oliviera travel to Morocco for the return leg this Friday 28th in Mohammed V stadium in Casablanca.

In the other games, two goals by Mohammed ABdelmonem and Mohammed Fathy ended Raja Casablanca’s unbeaten run as they lost 2-0 to Al Ahly in Egypt.

Four-time winner Esperance from Tunisia grabbed a 1-0 advantage over Algerian side JS Kabylie in Algiers.

CAF Champions League – quarterfinal results

Simba 1-0 Wydad AC

Al AHly 2-0 Raja Casablanca

CR Belouizdad 1-4 Mamelodi Sundowns

JS Kabylie 0-1 Esperance