Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa were crowned the first African Football League (AFL) champions after a 2-0 second leg victory over Wydad Casablanca completed a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Sundowns came back from a 2-1 deficit in the second half thanks to goals from Peter Shalulile and Aubrey Modiba at a noisy Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
The hosts got off to a slow start since Wydad was fouling and pressing hard.
Sundowns’ perseverance paid off as Youssef El Motie parried Teboho Mokoena’s shot in first-half stoppage time, and Shalulile pounced on the rebound.
After intercepting an inaccurate pass, Modiba sprinted through to extend Sundowns’ lead five minutes into the half.
Sundowns skillfully slowed the game, requiring Wydad to score two goals to win the championship. In the thrilling climax, some players purposefully squandered time by receiving yellow cards.
Ayoub El Amloud’s header just missed with nine minutes remaining, giving Wydad the chance for a show-stopping finish.
Sundowns, on the other hand, persevered and won the league overall, becoming the first AFL champions since the new club competition was created this year.
Coach Rulani Mokwena’s tactical approach saw them survive Wydad’s early pressure before cruelly capitalizing on blunders.
The victory completes Sundowns’ historic continental triumph; they are now the initial winners of the new African football league.