Sundowns Held To A Draw By MC Alger In CAF
Mamelodi Sundowns played out a 0-0 draw against Rulani Mokwena’s MC Alger in their second CAF Champions League group stage match at the Ali La Pointe Stadium in Algeria on Friday evening.
The Brazilians started the game on the front foot, creating several scoring opportunities in the first 20 minutes, but their inability to capitalize on these chances proved costly.
Sundowns continued to dominate the game, with Tashreeq Matthews coming close to scoring in the 25th minute. His right-footed shot from the left side of the six-yard box flew over the crossbar following Marcello Allende’s excellent cross from the right side.
The home side got their first significant chance in the 30th minute through Alhassane Bangoura, who beat Khuliso Mudau and Keanu Cupido with a skillful move.
However, Cupido managed to catch up and make a foul near the edge of the 18-yard box, earning a yellow card in the process.
Unfortunately for Alger, their free kick was poorly executed, and they missed an opportunity to score.
As half-time approached, Alger had another chance when Zinedine Ferhat broke through with a one-on-one opportunity against Ronwen Williams. However, Ferhat’s right-footed shot from outside the box was poor, and the score remained 0-0 at the break.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Sundowns dominating possession and creating several chances.
Despite their efforts, they were unable to score, and coach Miguel Cardoso made three substitutions in the 80th minute in search of an opening goal.
Alger came close to scoring in the 88th minute through Soufiane Bayazid, but the referee ruled him offside.
Both teams created several chances in the dying minutes of the game, but neither could find the back of the net. The match ultimately ended 0-0, with Sundowns remaining top of the log with four points and Alger in third place with one point.
This was the second meeting between Cardoso and Mokwena, following their encounter in the 2023/24 CAF Champions League semifinal, where Cardoso’s Esperance eliminated Mokwena’s Sundowns.
The draw means both teams will head into the AFCON break with their next matches scheduled for 23 January. Sundowns will face Al Hilal, while MC Alger will travel to face Saint Eloise Lupopo.
