- Sundowns had a late goal disallowed by VAR
- Petro handed the South Africans their first Champions League loss
- Wydad beat CRB in the other fixture
Mamelodi Sundowns had a late equalizer disallowed by VAR as they suffered their first Champions League loss of the season, going down 2-1 to Petro Atletico in Luanda in their quarter final first leg on Saturday.
Sundowns scored in the fourth minute of added time, Neo Maema curling a brilliant ball into the top left corner. However, the goal was disallowed by VAR, after referee Janny Sikazwe visited the pitch-side monitor to chalk off the goal for a foul in the build up.
The home side had come from a goal down to lead 2-1, a score-line they will hold heading to the return tie down South next weekend.
Lyle Lakay had given Sundowns the lead in the sixth minute, but skipper Tiago Azulao levelled matters for Petro before Yano scored the equalizer at the stroke of halftime.
Masandawana had a glorious start, Lakay curling a brilliant left footed freekick into the net after Thapelo Morena had been axed at the edge of the area.
Mamelodi Sundowns v Petro de Luanda
But the home side, pushed on by the passionate crowd at the Estádio 11 de Novembro gave in a fight. They levelled the scoring in the 16th minute when Azulao raced into the box to tap home a cross from To Carneiro on the left.
Sundowns almost re-took the lead in the 35th minute but Themba Zwane was denied by the bar after beating the offside trap from a Peter Shalulile pass.
The hard working Petro were rewarded for their resilience in the first minute of added time in the first half when Yano reacted quickest to burry the ball home after Azulao’s backheel effort at goal was pushed away by keeper Dennis Onyango.
In the second half, Sundowns came seeking to get their feet back in the game and they had a chance after 52 minutes but the Petro keeper made a brilliant save to deny Shalulile’s header, with Teboho Mokoena’s effort from the recycled ball curling just wide.
Petro stuck to their shape and defended well, guarding their lead and attacking when they had the chance.
Petro v Sundowns
Heading to the return tie next weekend, Petro just need to avoid defeat to hand themselves a place in the semi-finals while Sundowns have to win by a margin of more than two goals.
Elsewhere, despite playing more than 83 minutes of the match with a man less, two-time winners Wydad Athletic Club beat home side CR Belouizdad 1-0 in Algiers.
Guy Mbenza scored 19 seconds into the second half and despite seeing only 25pc of the possession in the game, Wydad had the job done to give them an advantage heading into next weekend’s return tie in Casablanca.
The Moroccan giants had to finish the match with 10 men after Jalal Daoudi was sent off just seven minutes into the match following a VAR intervention. But Wydad managed the numerical handicap to clinch victory.
Both sides had chances in the opening half, with Mbenza seeing a well-timed header flash just wide while Chouaib Keddad had a rasping shot from distance fly inches over.
In the second half, Wydad had the goal just 19 seconds in when Mbenza rose well inside the box to head home from an Ayoub El Amloud cross from the right.
It was a massive goal for Wydad who had maintained their tactical discipline despite being a man down. The hosts pushed them to defend deep, but were undone by poor decision making in the final third.
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