Mamelodi Sundowns secure slender first-leg advantage in CAF Champions League

Mamelodi Sundowns earned a crucial 1-0 victory over AS FAR Rabat in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final on Sunday, setting up a finely poised return leg in Morocco next weekend.

The South African giants made their home advantage count, cruising to a 1-0 victory over the Moroccan football powerhouse at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

The breakthrough came in the 37th minute when defender Aubrey Modiba scored the decisive goal to hand the South African champions the lead.

The highly-profiled left-back delivered once again on the big stage, providing the moment of quality that separated the two sides in a high-stakes final. His goal gave Sundowns the perfect boost before half-time and ultimately proved enough to secure victory.

Mamelodi Sundowns responded to the lead with controlled game management, maintaining composure in possession and ensuring defensive stability as they sought to protect their advantage.

AS FAR Rabat, meanwhile, grew into the game in the second half and pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but the Moroccan side could not break down Sundowns’ organised defensive structure.

AS FAR Rabat will take encouragement from the narrow margin of defeat, knowing that the tie is still very much alive heading into the decisive second leg on home soil.

With just one goal separating the teams, everything is to play for in next Sunday’s return fixture in Morocco.

Mamelodi Sundowns will travel with confidence but also awareness that the final is far from decided, while AS FAR Rabat will aim to respond in front of their supporters in what promises to be a dramatic conclusion to the continental showdown.