Nine-man Sundowns earn hard-fought away Champions League draw against Wydad

A nine-man Mamelodi Sundowns earned a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Wydad Athletic Club in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal at the Mohammed V Stadium on Saturday night. 

They did not get the crucial away goal but coach Rulani Mokwena will be satisfied with the fight by his players as they ended the match with nine men on the field. 

Neo Maema was sent for an early shower just before the halftime break and substitute Marcelo Allende was given his marching orders in the closing stages of the match. 

The Brazilians will fancy their chances in the second leg at Loftus on Saturday as they have already managed credible wins over Algerian side CR Belouizdad and Al Ahly at home. 

Sundowns will be looking to benefit from familiar conditions in Pretoria and book a place in their first final appearance since being crowned champions in 2016. 

If they make it to the final, Sundowns will play the winner of the other semifinal between Al Ahly and Esperance which is in favour of the Red Devils who won 3-0 on Friday. 

After ten minutes, Peter Shalulile thought he had given Sundowns the lead but his goal was overruled by VAR for offside. 

On the stroke of halftime, Sundowns suffered a massive blow when influential Maema was red-carded by Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea after he consulted with the VAR. 

After he watched the replays on the monitor, Laryea concluded that Maema unsportingly stamped on Wydad defender Amine Aboulfath who was on the ground. 

This means coach Rulani Mokwena must find someone to take the place of the suspended Maema in the line-up for the anticipated second leg at Loftus on Saturday. 

Mokwena did not make changes at the start of the second half but the shape of the team changed slightly with Shalulile as the lone man upfront and Thapelo Morena dropping to help in the midfield. 

The Sundowns defence was put under more pressure just before the hour-mark when defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil received a yellow card for roughing up striker Bouly Sambou who later limped off the field. 

Sundowns were nearly punished after 64 minutes when Mothobi Mvala missed the ball that fell in the path of substitute Zouheir El Moutaraji but he was denied by an alert Ronwen Williams. 

Shalulile had an opportunity to seal the game in the dying minutes but ballooned the ball over the crossbar as they settled for the share of the spoils to make Saturday’s match a winner takes all. 

The other talking point was the red card to Allende during referee's optional time for an unsporting tackle on Arsene Kiaku and this means Mokwena will have to do without two suspended players. 

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