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Football CAF Champions League Mamelodi Sundowns South Africa

Sundowns Need A Point To Reach CAF Knockout Place After Rabat-Raja Draw

  • January 11, 2025
  • 2 min read
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Sundowns Need A Point To Reach CAF Knockout Place After Rabat-Raja Draw

Mamelodi Sundowns need just a draw to secure their place in the knockout stages of the CAF Champions League following a 1-1 draw between FAR Rabat and Raja Casablanca at Stade d’Honneur in Miknâs on Saturday.

This result ensures that Sundowns, currently second in Group B with eight points after five matches, can only be overtaken by Raja (third) or AS Maniema Union (last) in the final group stage match if they win the match against the Congolese.

As Rabat and Sundowns occupy the top two positions in the group, the final group stage match between the two sides will determine the group winner.

Sundowns will host Rabat at Loftus Stadium next Sunday. A victory for Sundowns will secure top spot in the group, granting them the advantage of playing the second leg of the quarter-finals at home in South Africa.

The Moroccan Derby initially appeared destined for a goalless draw. However, in the 40th minute, Raja goalkeeper Anas Zniti unfortunately scored an own goal from a corner, giving FAR Rabat the lead.

In the second half, the game remained relatively uneventful until the 77th minute when Raja was awarded a penalty. Naoufel Zerhouni converted the penalty, sending Zniti the wrong way to level the score.

Despite both sides creating chances in the latter stages, the score remained unchanged, confirming that a draw between Sundowns and Rabat will see them reach the knockout stages.

Sundowns secured a crucial victory in their early match on Saturday, with Namibian striker Peter Shalulile scoring two late goals to overcome Maniema Union in Kinshasa.

Shalulile, who has recently been displaced by Iqraam Rayners in the starting lineup, came off the bench to score both goals. However, his second goal appeared to have been deflected into the net by a Maniema player, potentially being credited as an own goal.

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