Sundowns concede single-goal advantage to Esperance in away leg

Mamelodi Sundowns' weary legs seemed a factor in conceding a single-goal advantage in their Caf Champions League semifinal tie as hugely experienced and pedigreed Esperance Tunis won the first leg in Tunis 1-0 on Saturday night.

Brazilian Yan Sasse's 41st-minute strike separated the teams at Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi.

The tie, though, remains wide open, though perhaps slanted towards the Tunisian outfit as Downs have to find the energy to produce a win by two goals in Friday's second leg at Loftus Versfeld. Crazily, the Brazilians have to honour a DStv Premiership fixture against Sekhukhune United first at the same venue on Tuesday.

Sundowns were playing their staggering 46th match this campaign as they compete across a staggering six competitions in 2023-24.

The questionable scheduling of midweek matches before both legs of the Champions League semifinal by the Premier Soccer League has also raised eyebrows. Esperance had played two games this month before the first leg and Downs five. The Tunisian club, who played their 29th game of the season in the first leg, have no midweek domestic games to distract them.

That, and Sundowns' heavy legs as results were hard to come by in recent matches, made for a less than ideal situation as they took on a crack side like Esperance — Champions League winners four times including as recently as 2018 and 2019 — in front of 60,000 supporters in Tunis.

That Downs coach Rulani Mokwena put out a line-up that was not 100% his strongest on Saturday night must have been part down to those factors.

Most notably Teboho Mokoena — hero of Bafana Bafana's Africa Cup of Nations bronze medal this year and his club's most important midfielder — had not recovered from the injury that saw him limp off in Downs' 2-2 DStv Premiership draw against Moroka Swallows in Dobsonville on Monday.

Mokwena started Thembinkosi Lorch in right midfield as he appeared to hold substitute Thapelo Morena back to add energy at the end.

Despite the disadvantages, Sundowns remain in the tie. They have overturned away leg defeats before — notably in the inaugural African Football League where they lost 2-1 against Wydad Athletic in the first leg of the final and won 2-0 at home to lift the trophy in November.

There was a touch of over-elaboration in Downs' first real attack in the 14th but it ended with Thembinkosi Lorch teeing up Marcello Allende to shoot over from the right edge.

Moments later Lucas Ribeiro was marginally offside running through and volleying thunderously onto the crossbar.

At the other end Sundowns panicked in their box. Ronwen Williams attempted to play out via a pass to Mothobi Mvala in a crowded area who was dispossessed to allow midfielder Houssem Tka to hit the left upright then try again from the rebound, cleared off the line by Divine Lunga.

Downs were under pressure as Esperance’s Brazilian forward duo — Rodrigo Rodrigues with a sublime snap through-pass and Yan Sasse beating offside and finishing at the second take after Ronwen Williams first saved — produced the opener.

Sundowns had three good chances to equalise early in the second half.

Ribero beat a player in the middle and fed Lorch on the right who blasted his volley over on the run. Zwane back-heeled on the right of the box to tee up Lorch, whose low strike across the face from a tight angle was inches wide.

The Brazilians had their best opportunity of the match just before the hour when Lorch fed Zwane in who forced a stop from close range from Esperance's 19-year-old goalkeeper Amanallah Memmiche.

Mokwena introduced Peter Shalulile for Zwane in the 69th and 10 minutes later a slew of fresh legs in Morena, Thapelo Maseko and Neo Maema for Lorch, Lunga and Ribeiro.

But Downs could not land the sucker punch and Esperance were content to close shop and settle for a single-goal lead to bring to Pretoria.