This time Mamelodi Sundowns got their just rewards, Brazilians coach Manqoba Mngithi said after his team notched up a famous first-ever win in Cairo against Al Ahly, beating them 1-0 in their Caf Champions League Group A clash on Saturday night.

Mngqithi added, somewhat ruefully, that even if Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane had lost on the night at Cairo International Stadium, it was still a victory of sorts for the ex-Sundowns coach as he had laid the foundations of the Pretoria team's playing pattern before leaving for Egypt in September 2020.

Mngqithi, though, added that this time round Sundowns got from their clash what they deserved. In the 2020-21 quarterfinal, Sundowns outplayed Ahly in the Cairo first leg but did not take their chances, and defensive errors led to a clinical 2-0 win to the Red Devils.

Ahly then defended solidly in Pretoria for a 1-1 draw and 3-1 aggregate victory, going on to defend their title with a 3-0 final win against Kaizer Chiefs.

“We've always wanted to win and the last two matches, if you check the stats, we dominated in every front — shots at goal, box entries, crosses, counter-presses, we were very dominant in ball possession,” Mngqithi said.

“We were unfortunate in Cairo because they punished us because we made two silly mistakes.

“In the first half Taher Mohamed came inside and scored with the right foot [in the 23rd minute], where we had analysed that he was dangerous there. In the latter stage our goalkeeper [Denis Onyango] also committed an error [leading to Salah Mohsen's 89th-minute second], which gave them a big advantage going to SA.

“In SA, because coach Pitso is a very clever coach, he came with a very tall team because he knew we would be chasing the game, and when you do that you will bring your faster, more nippy [and shorter] players.

“Very early in the game Ahly got a corner and scored [in the 11th minute] — a good flick from Amr El Solia at the near post and Yasser [Ibrahim] was there at the far post, and our players were taken by surprise.

“So I believe in the last two matches we deserved to have done well, but in football you win some and lose some, and they were more clinical taking their chances.

“But winning in Cairo was always our plan, and we really wanted to, even last year. In fact I thought the performance last year was stronger than this year.

“This year we had too many injuries and were worried in some areas because we knew the strength of Al Ahly. We had lost a number of our starting players from the goalkeeper Denis Onyango, to the centreback Mosa Lebusa who scored at home [in last season's quarter], Erwin Saavedra, and two of our strikers in one week in Gift Motupa and Pavol Safranko.

“We are very excited to have won in Cairo. But one must also say that I think it's also a win for coach Pitso because he's laid the foundation at this club [Sundowns], and he always says this team still plays his football.

“So if Ahly lose and we win it means he has still won again.”

It could have been more in Cairo — Lyle Lakay's cross-cum-shot in the first half struck the post. Thapelo Morena struck the 85th-minute winner.

In their five previous clashes against Al Ahly in Cairo, starting in 2007, Sundowns had played five and lost five, without scoring a goal, though, as Mngqithi said, were unlucky not to get more from some of those games.

Downs, who drew 0-0 against Sudan's Al-Merrikh at Al Salam Stadium last Saturday and stayed the week in Cairo, top Group A with seven points from three games, Al Merrikh (four from two) are second, Ahly (one from two) third and Al-Hilal (one from three) are fourth.