South African side Mamelodi Sundowns, down to nine men, held Moroccan side Wydad Athletic to a goalless draw in their semifinal of the CAF Champions league, first leg match at Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco on 13 May 2023.
Wydad coached by former Zambia national team coach, Sven Vandenbroeck, will need at least a scoring draw in Pretoria, South Africa this coming Saturday to secure a spot in the final and keep their hopes of defending the title alive.
Both teams will battle it out next week as they fight for a place in the final of the CAF Champions League.
Reacting to the result Wydad Athletic, head coach, Sven Vandenbroeck told Cafonline that he remains hopeful the team will qualify to the final despite facing a tough opponent.
“On the offensive side, we didn’t find enough space to create much danger. We came against a very organized team which plays with maturity and with very good technical qualities which allow them, even under pressure to get the ball out very easily,” the coach said.
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Meanwhile, Vandenbroeck previously with AS FAR in the 2021-2022 season promised to work on the mistakes to ensure the team picks a positive result away from home.
“We have one week to work on several areas, and we will try to be ready. We hope for a better result. The game is still open for both teams, but I am confident with my team that we can still qualify,” the coach concluded.
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Mamelodi Sundowns 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 attempt to take advantage of the comfortable surroundings in Pretoria and secure a spot in their first final since winning the championship in 2016.
