AS FAR, Sundowns share spoils while Yanga suffers second consecutive defeat
AS FAR showed grit and resilience on Saturday evening after coming back from a goal down to salvage a draw against former champions Mamelodi Sundowns in a TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Group B match played in El Jadida’s Stade Ben Ahmed El Abd on Saturday.
A second half goal by Iqraam Rayners in the 66th minute was cancelled out by home captain Mohammed Hrimat’s 74th minute strike to secure a vital point for the hosts in a result that keeps them top of the group ahead of second placed Sundowns.
It was a game of two halves in El Jadida, as the hosts took hold of the match from the onset, with Sundowns absorbing most of the pressure throughout the opening stanza.
Desperate for a result were the former champions after their disappointing goalless draw against Maniema, the former champions were eager to get an early lead but an aggressive approach by the Moroccans forced them to retreat and keep their opponents at bay.
Coming back from the break following a tough first half for the visitors, it was Sundowns target man, Iqraam Rayners who put the South Africans ahead with a well taken volley from goalkeeper Ronwen Williams’ pin point pass for the striker to finish in style.
Sundowns’ lead only lasted a few minutes as a poor judgement in flight by Williams from a Youssef Fahli cross saw captain Hrimat calmly finish into an empty net to level matters.
It was an open encounter with each side having a go at one another, but a disciplined defence from either side of the pitch saw the two sides share the spoils and maintain their positions in Group B.
Meanwhile in Group A, Young Africans suffered a second consecutive defeat after they were subjected to a 2-0 loss to MC Alger at the Stade du 5 Juilet 1962 in Algiers.
The second defeat comes at the back of a first leg loss to Al-Hilal at home where they were handed a similar scoreline as they remain rooted at the bottom of the group.
Ayoub Abdellaoui fired MC Alger into the lead just after the hour mark following a goalless first half, before Soufiane Bayazid put the match beyond reach in referee’s additional time to secure a win for the hosts in a result that sees them momentarily top the group ahead of Al Hilal and Mazembe’s clash on Sunday evening.