Mamelodi Sundowns' pursuit of the African Champions League title took a more difficult turn when they lost 1-0 to Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca at a vibrant Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat yesterday to finish second in their pool.
Mohammed Nahiri scored the only goal of the game with a superb winner just past the hour mark, providing a deserved victory for the 2017 champions as they created the greater number of chances and showed more ambition to win the game.
Sundowns needed a draw to finish top of the pool and be among the top seeds for the quarterfinals, but instead face the prospect of meeting one of Al Ahly, TP Mazembe or defending champions Esperance in the next stage, with those matches to be played the weekends of April 5-6 and 12-13.
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane dropped Argentinian forward Emiliano Tade to the bench, with the pacey duo of Lebohang Maboe and Phakamani Mahlambi leading the line.
Denis Onyango made a vital early save, blocking the effort of Ismail El Haddad from point-blank range. But the Brazilians wasted a superb opportunity when Maboe beat the offside trap and latched onto a lofted ball before his poor touch actually set up Mahlambi with a clear chance that the latter fired wide.
Onyango's blushes were spared when he spilt a cross into the path of Nahiri, but the Wydad winger reacted poorly to the loose ball with the goal gaping and could only steer it wide.
Mahlambi curled a shot off target at the far post having made space for himself, and Onyango made a good save to deny El Haddad in the closing minutes of the first half.
Sundowns' plan to hit Wydad on the counterattack almost bore fruit early in the second period when Mahlambi raced clear down the right, but his ball into the box in search of Maboe was poor and home goalkeeper Ahmed Tagnaouti collected.
Wydad scored on 62 minutes when Nahiri crashed the ball home from 30m, his powerful shot dipping in at the far post and giving Onyango no chance.
Mosimane pushed left-back Tebogo Langerman into an attacking position with 20 minutes to go in desperate pursuit of a goal, reviving a role the defender had with Bidvest Wits in his debut Premier Soccer League season in 2008/09.
Defender Ricardo Nascimento came close to an equaliser when his header from Tade's free-kick was brilliantly saved by Tagnaouti.
Wydad Casablanca(0) 1
Mamelodi Sundowns(0) 0
GOALS: Wydad Casablanca- Mohammed Nahiri (62m)..