October 27 – South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns were crowned the African champions after overcoming Egypt’s Zamalek to win the 2016 CAF Champions League. In December they will represent Africa at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, the first South African side to do so.
The Masandawana, or the ‘Brazilians’, went down 1-0 due to a Stanley Ohawuchi goal after the hour mark at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria this weekend, but Zamalek never came close to overturning a 3-0 defeat from the first leg.
Sundowns’ success in Africa’s top club competition comes 21 years after Soweto club Orlando Pirates became the first South African team to take the title.
The win brings to an end a dramatic comeback for the Pretoria-based club. The Sundowns had been eliminated in the last of the preliminary rounds for the competition, but they were given a reprieve after Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo were banned from the competition by the Confederation of African Football for having used a suspended player.
Zamalek had no choice but to go all-out at home, but in a tense match the South Africans held their ground. The Nigerian Ohawuchi broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute with a goal from outside the penalty area. The hosts had complete control of the last 30 minutes, but in spite of applying a lot of pressure, were unable to score more goals.
The win ensures that Sundowns, who are owned by billionaire mining magnate Patrice Motsepe, will represent Africa at the FIFA Club World Cup in December. Last year TP Mazembe were the African flag bearers, but they were eliminated by Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the quarter-finals. FC Barcelona won the tournament with a victory against River Plate from Argentina in the final.
This year Real Madrid, as winners of the UEFA Champions League, will be favourites to lift the FIFA Club World Cup.
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