African Champions League final: Faulty VAR pigs in spotlight as Mamelodi Sundowns beat Royal Armed Forces in first leg

Hosts Mamelodi Sundowns defeated the Royal Armed Forces of Morocco 1-0 in the first leg of the African Champions League final on Sunday, with left back Aubrey Modiba scoring the only goal of the match.

Modiba struck a free-kick from outside the penalty area eight minutes before half-time, giving the South African champions a slim lead ahead of next Sunday’s second leg in Rabat.

Sundowns might have enjoyed a better win had Colombian striker Brayan Leon not squandered three good chances in quick succession early in the second half, which started after a 20-minute delay due to a faulty VAR system.

Both teams had to wait for a restart after half-time before deciding to continue without VAR in another embarrassing incident in a major African final.

Earlier this year, the African Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal in Rabat was overshadowed by controversial VAR decisions and a walk-off by Senegal.

READ ALSO | Who is Mamelodi Sundowns?

The same referee, Jean-Jacques Ndala from the Democratic Republic of Congo, oversaw Sunday’s match at Loftus Versfeld but could do little about the poor technology.

Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena struck the visitor again with a free kick five minutes before the end.

Sundowns, runners-up in the Champions League last season, only won the competition in 2016, while Moroccan Army were the winners of the old-fashioned African Champions Cup 41 years ago.

Published on May 17, 2026