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Mamelodi Sundowns created enough chances at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday to make the second leg a formality. They did not take them. Leon missed twice in the second half. Letlhaku was denied by Tagnaouti's legs. Mokoena's free kick hit the post. The final score was 1-0 rather than 3-0 or 4-0, and that is why the second leg on May 24 in Rabat is anything but settled.
One goal is an advantage in a two-legged final. It is not the same as being in control. AS FAR need a single goal at home to level the aggregate and force extra time. They have the goalkeeper who has just shown, across 90 minutes at Loftus Versfeld, that he is capable of keeping his side in a match through individual brilliance alone. Ahmed Tagnaouti made the saves that kept the first-leg deficit at one. He will do the same in Rabat with 50,000 Moroccan supporters behind him.
The Problem With Not Scoring More
Brayan Leon has been the decisive player in Sundowns's biggest Champions League moments this season. He scored the only goal in Tunis. He converted the semi-final rebound at Loftus Versfeld after his penalty was saved. At the moment the first leg demanded another contribution of that kind, he fired over from close range and then was denied by Tagnaouti one-on-one in the 67th minute. Both chances, as reported across match coverage by Foot Africa and beIN Sports, were the kind that a striker in form at the highest level converts more often than not.
The post-match statistics showed Sundowns created 11 shots with an expected goals tally of 0.83. AS FAR produced just 0.20 xG across the entire match. The gulf in attacking quality was clear. The finishing was not. Cardoso will address that in training this week. Leon, Letlhaku, and Saleng know what they left behind at Loftus Versfeld. The question for Rabat is whether those missed chances become a psychological burden or a motivation to be more clinical when Sundowns next get clear of the AS FAR defensive structure.
Sundowns Have Never Won in Morocco
The statistic that AS FAR supporters and Santos will be carrying into May 24 is straightforward. Sundowns have never won a CAF Champions League match on Moroccan soil. That historical record does not guarantee anything, but it is not nothing either. Santos told reporters after the first leg that he expects his side to win more possession in Rabat. A team that had only 29% of the ball at Loftus Versfeld performing closer to their natural levels on home ground, in front of a full stadium, will be a different proposition.
The Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium atmosphere was demonstrated in the semi-final against RS Berkane. The all-Moroccan tie drew 47,000 people for the home leg and AS FAR won it through a performance built on defensive solidarity and the crowd's support sustaining them through difficult moments. Sundowns have not experienced an atmosphere like that this season. Their players have been in big continental matches before, but the specific pressure of defending a one-goal lead in a North African stadium in a final is new for most of this squad.
What Cardoso Needs from His Squad
The tactical approach for Rabat will be different from Sunday. Cardoso's three-attacking-midfielder setup was designed to control possession at home and generate chances. In Morocco, defending the lead while remaining dangerous on the counter will be the primary requirement. Kekana's suspension ends after the first leg, which means his return to the back four provides the defensive stability that was missing at Loftus Versfeld. If Mvala is also available, the defensive structure becomes considerably more reliable than what Cardoso fielded on Sunday.
Divine Lunga, introduced as a substitute in the second half when Modiba picked up an injury, could feature from the start in Rabat as a more defensive-minded option on the left flank. Monnapule Saleng's pace off the bench proved useful in the closing stages of the first leg and will be an important weapon if Sundowns need to relieve pressure quickly in Morocco.
The clearest instruction for Rabat is the one Cardoso delivered himself after Sunday's match. Sundowns dominated possession, created 11 shots, and still went into the second leg with only a 1-0 lead because they could not finish. In Rabat, the chances will be fewer. When they come, they cannot be wasted.
Second leg: Saturday May 24. Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco. Kickoff: 21h00 local time (19h00 GMT). Referee: Omar Abdulkadir Artan, Somalia. Broadcast: SuperSport, beIN Sports, SABC 1.
