Bafana Stars Clinch League Titles Abroad, Mailula On Target For Wydad
Bafana Bafana duo of Siyabonga Ngezana and Elias Mokwana were crowned champions in the Romanian SuperLiga and the Tunisian Ligue 1, respectively, while Cassius Mailula scored for Wydad Casablanca for a second match in a row.
The Romanian giants were confirmed as champions on Saturday evening after their closest competitors for the title, CFR Cluj and Universitatea Craiova, played to a thrilling 2-2 draw that ended their race to supremacy.
FCSB cemented their 28th championship with a 2-0 win over Universitatea Cluj on Sunday night to go nine points clear at the summit of the table with two games to go. As a result, the former Kaizer Chiefs defender has now won two consecutive league titles in Romania.
On the other hand, Mokwana found the back of the net as Esperance de Tunis thumped Olympique de Beja 5-0 en route to securing their 34th league title in the Tunisian topflight with one game remaining.
The Taraji lead the pack with 65 points collected from 29 league outings, while second-placed US Monastir, spearheaded by 75-year-old Tunisian mentor Faouzi Benzarti, surrendered the championship after a 1-1 stalemate with Etoile Metlaoui meant they could reach a maximum of 64 points.
For the ex-Sekhukhune United winger, this is his maiden league title as he became the first-ever South African player to be crowned champion in Tunisia. Mokwana has already lifted the Tunisian Super Cup with Esperance this season.
In Morocco, Mailula found the back of the net for the second successive game to make it five goals and seven assists in 33 matches as the 22-time Moroccan champions narrowly missed out on a CAF Champions League spot for two consecutive seasons, with three points behind second-placed AS FAR.
However, the Red Castle will return to continental football in the upcoming season, having settled for a CAF Confederations Cup Spot with a third-place finish and 54 points picked up in the Botola Pro League this term – an improvement on their dismal sixth-place finish in the 2023/24 campaign.
Elsewhere, Fadlu Davids’ Simba SC closed in on the top spot with a hard-fought comeback 2-1 victory against Kinondoni MC, thanks to a brace from Ugandan striker Steven Mukwala, with goals in both halves enough to claim maximum points.
The Reds of Msimbazi are in second place and one point behind log leaders and fierce rivals Young Africans after 26 league encounters. Davids’ charges have accumulated 69 points, while Yanga picked up 70, with the two giants yet to meet for the second round.
