Hostile environment awaits Champions League hopefuls Mamelodi Sundowns in Morocco

Mamelodi Sundowns head into the African Champions League final second leg in Rabat with a slender 1-0 lead over AS FAR Rabat. Based on the unsavoury scenes that took place in Pretoria during the first leg, the South Africans can expect major hostility in Morocco for the second stanza of the final. It takes place on Sunday, 24 May, in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 9pm.

“I hope the spirit of sports will prevail,” Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso said, when he was notified of the distasteful scenes at Loftus Versfeld between AS FAR Rabat fans and South African police on Sunday, 17 May, as his team took a major step towards African Champions League glory.

State of play

Sundowns beat AS FAR 1-0 in the first stanza of the two-legged decider, thanks to a sumptuous set-piece strike by Bafana Bafana left-back Aubrey Modiba. The rest of the clash was a tactical arm-wrestling battle between the two teams, as Portuguese tactician Cardoso and his compatriot Alexandre Santos tried to outmanoeuvre each other with the mental agility of chess grandmasters.

The South African side hogged the ball for much of the match, walking away with a total of 71% in possession. They created chances during these periods of dominance, but could not dispatch them against a resolute AS FAR defence.

HIGHLIGHTS | Mamelodi Sundowns 🆚 AS FAR | ملخص ماميلودي صنداونز والجيش الملكي في ذهاب نصف النهائي

While that battle was taking place on the field, in the stands AS FAR’s fans clashed with South African police and some Sundowns fans. One image from the incident showed a travelling supporter spraying a law enforcement officer with pepper spray.

Panyaza Lesufi criticises Loftus violence

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who was in attendance, condemned the behaviour.

“Law enforcement agencies are still working on it, going through lengthy footage,” Lesufi said on Marawa Sports Worldwide.

“From there we hope to take it to CAF, and hopefully there can be banishment of some of these spectators. Because it’s not the first time; it’s not the second or the third time. Even though Sundowns put some arrangements to make sure it doesn’t happen,” the premier said.

“It’s quite clear that this calibre of people are not here for sporting activities. They just want to disrupt. And they have to be treated in that particular fashion. This latest incident will assist us in strengthening our approach when it comes to dealing with them in future,” Lesufi said.

“We can’t allow people to enter the stadium with pepper sprays, while wearing balaclavas. That is a big no.

“Even on the political front, [South Africa] does not see eye-to-eye with Morocco. So they have a very negative attitude against South Africans,” Lesufi said.

A common Champions League trend

In addition to concerns about some travelling supporters from north Africa causing chaos at South African stadiums, the incident raised concerns about security at soccer matches of this magnitude on the continent. If security were up to scratch, pepper spray would not have been allowed anywhere near the stadium.

A year ago, both Sundowns and Orlando Pirates participated in the Champions League quarterfinal matches. In both those clashes on South African soil, there were incidents of violence involving the travelling fans of the respective opponents, Tunisia’s Espérance and Algeria’s MC Alger.

Both South African sides were heavily sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for implementing poor crowd control measures. Pirates copped a R941,000 fine, and Sundowns were fined R1.9-million. Espérance and Alger also received similarly hefty fines for the behaviour of their supporters.

Moroccan mind games

The Brazilians are hoping to clinch their second Champions League title (and a first in exactly a decade) in the 2025/26 decider. However, the hostility that began with those few rogue fans at Loftus a week ago continued as Sundowns’ travel plans were scuppered by Moroccan authorities’ dragging their feet in issuing a landing clearance for the team in Rabat.

Sundowns were originally scheduled to depart from South Africa on Tuesday, 19 May. They had applied for the clearance well in advance as they are not new to competing continentally. However, after camping out at OR Tambo International Airport for hours waiting for clearance, they had to leave the airport.

The Brazilians eventually set off a day later on Wednesday and have now arrived at the base ahead of the mega-clash. They trained for the first time on Thursday night. Despite the setback, Sundowns’ skipper Themba Zwane said the team were in high spirits.

“The trip was long. But the mood [in the camp] is super. Everyone is so excited and we’re pushing each other,” Zwane said. “We have to push ourselves and try to make history. This group of players will be remembered for years to come [if we can win it].”

Based on the behaviour of some AS FAR fans in the first leg, as well the unsavoury and unsporting scenes that soured the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal, it will be an uphill battle for the Brazilians in Rabat.

If that final is the barometer of what awaits Sundowns in Morocco on Sunday, then they can expect being flashed with lasers from the stands, as well as being bullied by ball boys. DM