Sun sets on Downs' CAF Champions League campaign

Mamelodi Sundowns were left rue another missed CAF Champions League chance when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Moroccan side Wydad Athletic Club on Saturday. The result meant Sundowns was eliminated on the away goals rule after last week's first leg was a goalless draw.

Wydad will have a two-legged final against Egypt's Al-Ahly next month to defend their title, while Sundowns are again left to reflect what could have been.

Carrying the hopes of a football nation that's serially underdelivered at club continental level, Sundowns had done the hard work by not conceding a goal in Casablanca last week. Despite goals from Themba Zwane and Peter Shalulile, they were cancelled out by headers from Ayoub elAmloud and painfully, Mothobi Mvala, who turned the ball into his own net.

Mvala's goal knocked the stuffing out of his team mates properly and they simply couldn't raise themselves to find the winner a game of such high quality so deserved. It not only robbed one of the best games, if not the best game of football played in South Africa this season of a grandstand finish, but it robbed Sundowns of a chance to get into the CAF Champions League final for the first time since winning it 2016.

This was the trophy Sundowns really craved and in playing within themselves in the midweek draw against Maritzburg United in their coronation game, they went all out for this one.

Mamelodi Sundowns vs Wydad Casablanca

Manchester City celebrated their third consecutive Premier League title on Sunday as a much-changed side was still good enough to beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola's men clinched a fifth title in six seasons on Saturday when second-placed Arsenal were beaten 1-0 at Nottingham Forest. That gave Guardiola the luxury of resting most of his star names with one eye on the FA Cup and Champions League finals next month as City go for the treble. The strength of City's squad was exemplified by Julian Alvarez, who has spent most of the season as Erling Haaland's understudy, scoring his 17th goal of the campaign to extend the English champions' unbeaten run in all competitions to 24 games.

The treble is on!

Man City beat Chelsea to celebrate Premier League title triumph

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South Africa finished a highly commendable fourth at the last showpiece in the United Kingdom in 2019, where they lost narrowly to Australia in the semi-finals before losing the bronze medal playoff to hosts England.

The hosts have been drawn into the same group with Jamaica in Pool C, their strongest rivals for a top four place, as well as Wales and Sri Lanka.