Mamelodi Sundowns were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Al Hilal of Sudan in an eventful CAF Champions League clash played in Pretoria on Friday night.
The result was a setback for the South African champions, who dropped two valuable points at home that could have given them clear control at the top of Group C. Both sides now sit on five points after three matches, leaving Sundowns under pressure ahead of next week’s return fixture in Sudan.
Sundowns found the net through Arthur Sales and Teboho Mokoena, while Abdelrazig Taha struck twice for Al Hilal to earn his side a crucial away point.
Head coach Miguel Cardoso showed faith in teenage defender Thato Sibiya, who made his Champions League debut after featuring in the midweek league win over Orbit College. He also relied on experienced players including Ronwen Williams, Grant Kekana, Khuliso Mudau, Marcelo Allende, Mokoena, Nuno Santos, Sales and Lebo Mothiba.
The first clear chance of the game came in the 10th minute when Santos tried his luck from outside the box, but his effort was comfortably saved by Al Hilal goalkeeper Soufiane Ouedraogo.
Al Hilal took the lead after 15 minutes. A mix up between Mokoena and Santos allowed Taha space inside the box, and he punished the error with a powerful close range finish past Williams.
Sundowns responded quickly and equalised in the 22nd minute. Sales timed his run well to stay onside before finishing calmly after receiving a pass from midfield to beat Ouedraogo.
The hosts controlled most of the possession and created the better chances in the first half. At the break, Cardoso introduced Brayan León in place of Mothiba to add more attacking threat.
Just after the hour mark, Sundowns missed a golden chance to go ahead. León was denied by Ouedraogo, and moments later Tashreeq Matthews blasted the rebound over the crossbar.
Mamelodi Sundowns finally took the lead in the 64th minute. Matthews picked out Mokoena on the edge of the area, and the midfielder took a touch before firing a fierce shot into the net, leaving Ouedraogo with no chance.
Al Hilal refused to fold and levelled the score six minutes later. The Sundowns defence failed to clear their lines, and Taha capitalised again to complete his brace and make it 2-2.
There was late drama when Malian referee Ousmane Diakate sent off Emmanuel Flomo in the closing stages for an unsporting tackle on Mudau.
Al Hilal came into the match full of confidence, unbeaten in their previous five meetings with Sundowns and riding an eight match winning streak, during which they kept six clean sheets. The Sudanese side, currently playing their home games in Rwanda, extended that strong run with this result.
Sundowns were also unbeaten in eight matches before this game, including three draws, and had just beaten Orbit College in the league. They will now look to return to winning ways when they travel to face Al Hilal in the reverse fixture next week.
Before this encounter, the two teams had met eight times, with Mamelodi Sundowns winning five matches, Al Hilal claiming one victory, and two games ending in draws.
