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Williams saves his blushes and helps Sundowns seal last-8 spot in Caf Champions League

Sazi Hadebe Sports reporter
Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile challenges Altayeb Abdelrazig Abdalla of Al Hilal during their CAF Champions League clash at Al Hilal Stadium in Omdurman, Sudan.
Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile challenges Altayeb Abdelrazig Abdalla of Al Hilal during their CAF Champions League clash at Al Hilal Stadium in Omdurman, Sudan.
Image: BackpagePix

Mamelodi Sundowns ended any lingering doubts about their qualification for the last 8 of the Caf Champions League when they played to a 1-1 draw against Sudanese giants Al Hilal at the imposing Al Hilal Stadium in Omdurman, Sudan, on Saturday. 

Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams turned from villain to hero after saving a last-minute penalty that would have given the home side victory and qualification to the quarterfinals, locking 10-time African champions Al Ahly out of reaching the knockout stages.  

Williams had given Al Hilal an easy equaliser when he was dispossessed by Yousif Yagoub in the 72nd minute but denied the home side’s skipper a brace when he saved his spot kick at the death.  

Khuliso Mudua gave Sundowns an unlikely lead when he tapped home Aubrey Modiba’s free kick in the 67th minute but the mistake by Williams gifted Yagoub the opportunity to equalise. 

Mudau, who was overlooked by Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos in his latest squad, followed Modiba’s long-range set piece and stabbed it home when Hilal keeper Ali Abdalla fumbled it.  

It was Williams's cockiness inside his area that denied Sundowns a double over Hilal when he was robbed of the ball by Yagoub while trying to build from the back.  

The draw took Sundowns' points tally to 11 and they will be assured of qualifying as Group B winners if they beat wooden spooners Coton Sport of Cameroon in their last group match at home on March 31.  

The draw leaves Al Hilal with a tough task of beating Ahly in their last match. Ahly can, like Hilal, also reach 10 points if they beat the Sudanese club in their last encounter in Cairo. 

If Ahly beat Al Hilal, head-to-head and the goal difference between the two sides will come into play in deciding who joins Sundowns in the last 8. Al Hilal managed to beat Ahly 1-0 at home in February with the Congolese striker Makabi Lilepo scoring the winner.  

Bafana Bafana striker and former Sundowns star Percy Tau inspired Ahly to a 4-0 win away to Coton Sport on Friday, scoring the fourth goal after providing two assists to hat-trick hero Mahmud Kahraba.  

The win, which took Ahly’s points to seven, came after Tau and his team had suffered a humiliating 5-2 defeat against Sundowns in Pretoria last week.  

Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena will be aware that since winning the competition in 2016 Sundowns have only made the semifinals once (2018-2019) in seven attempts and will be looking to improve on that record before thinking of winning the competition.  

Lilepo was again the most dangerous Hilal player in Saturday's encounter, testing Sundowns' goalkeeper at least three times in the first 45 minutes.  

The match was the most physical that Sundowns have played and Tebogo Mokoena received a yellow card that rules him out of the last match against Coton Sport. 

 


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