Sports
Sundowns Edge Esperance 1–0 Amid Fan Violence at Loftus
Mamelodi Sundowns took a crucial step toward the CAF Champions League semi-finals with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Esperance in the first leg of their quarter-final clash in Pretoria on Tuesday. A second-half goal from Peter Shalulile proved the difference in a tense encounter marked by limited chances and post-match crowd disturbances.
The match at Loftus Versfeld was tight and tense, with both sides struggling to find rhythm. But it was Sundowns who made their one real chance count. A long diagonal ball from Lucas Ribeiro found Jayden Adams, whose clever header set up Shalulile to finish from close range in the 54th minute.
The Namibian striker’s goal gave the home side a slender advantage ahead of next week’s return leg in Tunisia. But the match was marred by crowd trouble after the final whistle. Supporters from both clubs clashed in the stands, with medical teams attending to minor injuries from bottles thrown and scuffles that broke out.
“I was told there were some scuffles and objects thrown. We treated fans for cuts and bruises, but there was nothing serious,” a medic told AFP.
Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso had to intervene late in the match to separate players after a heavy foul led to on-pitch tensions. Despite his side taking the lead, he admitted that Sundowns lost momentum in the final stages.
“We’re not going to Tunisia to defend,” Cardoso said. “We’re going there to score and win the second leg.”
Last season, Esperance knocked Sundowns out in the semi-finals with two 1-0 victories, and they once again opted for a conservative approach in Pretoria. Despite boasting Youcef Belaili, the tournament’s top scorer, the Tunisian giants failed to register a shot on target.
Their best moment came when Nigerian midfielder Onuche Ogbelu’s close-range shot was bravely blocked by Lucas Suarez.
During a fight that broke out after a match between Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Esperance of Tunisia , a hero from South Africa helped save the life of a Tunisian who was about to fall
All of this happened while hooligans took over the stadiumpic.twitter.com/1JXQgVwXcI
— Africa Firsts (@AfricaFirsts) April 2, 2025
Esperance were under new leadership after former Tunisian international Maher Kanzari replaced Romanian coach Laurentiu Reghecampf, who was dismissed due to poor domestic results.
Elsewhere, Orlando Pirates pulled off a surprise 1-0 away win over Mouloudia Alger in Algeria. Mohau Nkota came off the bench to net the winner in the 65th minute, bursting through the middle and calmly slotting past the goalkeeper in front of a packed 50,000-strong crowd.
Although Mouloudia thought they had equalised moments later, captain Ayoub Abdellaoui’s goal was disallowed for a foul on Pirates keeper Sipho Chaine, who had already made several key saves in the first half.
In Cairo, Egyptian sides had mixed wins in their quarter-final clashes. Pyramids hammered Morocco’s FAR Rabat 4-1 with braces from Fiston Mayele and Ibrahim Adel. Meanwhile, defending champions Al Ahly edged Sudan’s Al Hilal 1-0, courtesy of a superb volley from Mohamed Hany.
The second legs of the quarter-finals are set for next week, with Sundowns aiming to finish what they started in Pretoria.
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Sourced: African Insider
Picture: AfricaFirsts/X
