Mamelodi Sundowns, the Brazilians, met a real Brazilian who punished them inside a packed Estadio 11 de Novembro in Luanda, Angola, on Saturday evening.
Brazilian Tiago Azulao scored a leveler that provided a springboard for Angola’s Petro de Luanda’s 2-1 win over Sundowns 2-1 in a CAF Champions League quarterfinal first leg match that was full of VAR drama.
Lyle Lakay had scored for the South African champions Sundowns before Azulao and Yano replied for the Angolans in the first-half.
The game was not short of drama as Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe ruled out what the South Africans thought was a late leveler after VAR review.
The hosts also had a would-be third goal declined after VAR review to leave the tie evenly balanced going into the second leg in Pretoria next week on Saturday.
Lakay gave the Pretoria-based side a dream start when he sent his freekick into the net via a slight deflection barely after six minutes.
Azulao levelled matters in the 16th minute when the Brazilian leapt with his boot open to side-foot the ball into the net with a quick volley in between the visitors’ defenders.
Sundowns had the chances to pull away from Petro but Themba Zwane and company missed scoring chances recklessly.
Such misses came back to haunt the DStv Premiership champions as the hosts went in front on the stroke of half-time.
Yano tapped the ball into the net from a rebound after Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango had punched a close range’s flick from a low cross.
Petro went to break leading and they clung to their lead due to stoic defending leaving Sundowns frustrated in the second half.
Starting Line-Ups:
Petro de Luanda: Gomes, Pinto, Da Silva, Nicolau, Carneiro, Miguel, Moreira, Balanga, Afonso, Leal, Teixeira
Mamelodi: Denis Onyango, Lakay, Lebusa, Brian Onyango, Sirino, Jali, Mudau, Mokoena, Morena, Themba Zwane, Peter Shalulile