Wiliete end Sundowns' 12-year group-stage streak
Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns were eliminated from the CAF Champions League after a 1-1 draw with Angolan side Wiliete. This result ends Sundowns' 12-year streak of group-stage appearances.
Why it matters
This is a historic upset in African club football, as it marks the first time a defending champion has failed to reach the group stage since 2016.
Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns saw their Caf Champions League title defence come to a stunning end after a 1-1 draw against Angolan outfit Wiliete in Pretoria on Friday night, with the visitors securing a historic passage to the group stage.
The result ended Sundowns' remarkable run of 12 consecutive group-stage appearances, with Masandawana failing to reach the lucrative stage of the competition for the first time since 2015. In doing so, they became the first defending champions to fall before the group phase since TP Mazembe in 2016 and only the seventh reigning champion to suffer such a fate in the modern era.
It's a historic night for Wiliete as they knock the African Champions out of the #TotalEnergiesCAFCL ❌ #SSFootball https://t.co/tjFHbglDtd
After a goalless first-leg encounter, Sundowns started positively on home soil and nearly struck inside five minutes when Thabang Matuludi headed wide from an Aubrey Modiba corner.
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