By Brian Bariyo Tumuramye
South African soccer giants Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday started their season on a low note when they didn’t survive in Congo Brazzaville, as the hosts beat them in the preliminary round of the continent’s most prestigious club tournament, CAF.
Mamelodi, who are South Africa’s representatives in the CAF Champions League suffered a bloody nose when they were beaten 2-1 by AS Otoho d’Oyo.
The 2016 CAF Champions League winners conceded in the 10th minute through a penalty, before the second goal that came 16 minutes later when their defence was caught flat-footed. Things went from bad to worse when the Brazzavillians suffered another blow that saw their captain, Hlompho Kekana was shown marching orders, only five minutes to the break
Pitso Mosimane’s boys, however, showed character in the second half by making a number of constant attacks on the enemy’s goal that later paid off with a 76th-minute consolation and crucial away goal, thanks to Thapelo Morena, who fired home from 25 metres.
The game ended 2-1 and Onyango’s Mamelodi will need to win one-nil in the return leg in South Africa in a fortnight’s time, so as to progress to the next stage of Africa’s most prestigious club tournament which they last won in 2016.
