A moment of brilliance from Aubrey Modiba gave Mamelodi Sundowns victory in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final, as the South African champions defeated AS FAR Rabat 1-0 at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
Mamelodi Sundowns attempted to impose their usual passing rhythm early on, while the Moroccan visitors remained compact and disciplined, looking to frustrate the hosts and exploit opportunities on the counterattack.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 37th minute through Modiba, who produced a spectacular strike from a direct free-kick.
The left-back unleashed a powerful effort that flew beyond the reach of the FAR goalkeeper, who managed to get fingertips to the ball but could not prevent it from crashing into the net.
FAR Rabat attempted to respond before the interval, but the South African side remained composed defensively and carried their lead into halftime.
The visitors emerged with greater attacking intent after the break as coach Alexandre Santos urged his side forward in search of an equaliser.
Teboho Mokoena came close to adding a second goal late in the contest when another thunderous free-kick crashed against the post in the 83rd minute, leaving AS FARÂ relieved to escape further punishment.
Despite the defeat, the Moroccan side will take encouragement from keeping the deficit to a single goal ahead of the decisive second leg on home soil.
Sundowns’ defensive resilience and ability to remain competitive away from home means the tie remains finely balanced with 90 minutes still to play in Rabat.
In a tense and tactical contest, Modiba’s stunning first-half free-kick separated the two sides and ensured Sundowns will travel to Morocco next weekend carrying a narrow lead into the decisive second leg, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
