Mamelodi Sundowns held by Al Hilal as points slip away in Champions League Group C

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS (1)(2)

Sales 22’, Mokoena 64’

AL HILAL SC                     (1)(2)

Omer 15’, 71’

Mamelodi Sundowns dropped two crucial points that would have given them a healthy lead at the top of Group C in the CAF Champions League after drawing 2–2 with Al Hilal at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night.

Sundowns remain top of the group with five points, level with second-placed Al Hilal. The two sides will meet again in the return leg on Friday in Rwanda, in the fourth match of the group, where Sundowns will be eager to make up for lost ground after the Pretoria stalemate.

The Brazilians hosted Al Hilal as clear favourites – despite Al Hilal being unbeaten in the group after shocking MC Alger at home and holding St. Eloi Lupopo away – but they seemed to forget one of the golden rules of continental football: possession alone does not win matches.

As a result, Sundowns dominated proceedings from start to finish to finish, but were punished in the 15th minute when Abdelrazig Omer latched onto a ball played behind the defence and blasted his finish into the roof of the net.

Sundowns responded swiftly with some slick, enterprising play. Nuno Santos floated a delightful ball in behind Al Hilal’s defence to find Arthur Sales, whose first touch wrong-footed goalkeeper Mohamed Yousif before he calmly passed the ball into an empty net.

Aside from that moment, Sundowns were rarely threatened defensively, although youngster Thato Sibiya – who was making his CAF Champions League debut – looked shaky at times.

After failing to capitalise on their chances in the first half, coach Miguel Cardoso rang the changes at the break, introducing Bryan Leon – also making his continental debut – for the ineffective Lebo Mothiba.

Sundowns continued to create promising passages of play in the second half as they pushed for a winner that would have seen them take control of the group. And Teboho Mokoena delivered in style, controlling the ball superbly outside the box before unleashing a thunderbolt that flew into the top corner.

However, the lead was short-lived as Omer completed his brace, squeezing the ball home amid a cluster of Sundowns defenders to ensure the match ended in a draw – a result the hosts will be disappointed with, even though Al Hilal were later reduced to 10 men.