Mamelodi Sundowns bowed out of the CAF Champions League after being held to a 1-1 draw by Al Ahly in the second leg quarter-final clash at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Read: Sundowns face uphill battle in bid to reach CAF last four
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane rang just one change from the side that lost 2-0 in the first-leg, with former Bafana Bafana right-back Anele Ngcongca replacing Wayne Arendse.
First half
The Brazilians started the match like a house on fire, and were almost 1-0 to the good in the fourth minute as defender Ricardo Nascimento went clear on goal from the left but his effort was saved by Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawy.
It was the visitors however who opened the scoring in the 21st minute after Lebohang Maboe turned a free-kick into his own net by attempting to make a clearance.
Sundowns got back on level matters six minutes later through Gaston Sirino who was quick to react to a rebound with a close range tap-in after El-Shennawy parried Themba Zwane’s initial strike into the Uruguyuan’s path.
The sides went into the halftime break locked at 1-1.
Second half
The second stanza saw Mosimane’s men fired up and almost took the lead when Zwane came close to giving his side the lead on the hour-mark with a venomous shot from range but by El-Shennawy pulled off a top-class save to keep his side in the game.
In the end, it was not to be as the Red Devils progressed with a 3-1 win on aggregate and booked a spot in the semi-finals.
Starting XI:
Sundowns: Onyango, Madisha, Nascimento, Lebusa, Ngcongca, Kekana (c), Jali, Sirino, Zwane, Vilakazi, Maboe.
Subs: Mweene, Langerman, Arendse, Mabunda, Mahlambi, Mkhulise, Meza.
Al Ahly: El-Shennawy, Fathi, Rabiaa, Ibrahim, Ma’aloul, Dieng, El-Sulya, Metwally, Geraldo, Ajayi, Badji.