Modiba struck home a free kick from outside the penalty box eight minutes before ‌half-time to give the South African champion a slender advantage to ‌take into next Sunday’s return leg ‌in ⁠Rabat. | Photo Credit: AP

Host Mamelodi Sundowns beat Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces 1-0 in ​the first leg of the African Champions ‌League final on Sunday, with left ​back Aubrey Modiba scoring the ⁠game’s only goal.

Modiba struck home a free kick from outside the penalty box eight minutes before ‌half-time to give the South African champion a slender advantage to ‌take into next Sunday’s return leg ‌in ⁠Rabat.

Sundowns might have had a ⁠more handsome win had their Colombian striker Brayan Leon not squandered three good chances in quick succession ​early in the ‌second half, which got underway after a 20-minute delay because of a faulty VAR system.

Both teams were left waiting ‌to restart after half-time before deciding ​to go ahead 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.

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

Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena ​struck the visitor’s upright with another free kick five minutes from ⁠time.

Sundowns, who were Champions League runners-up last season, ⁠have only previously won the competition in 2016, while the Moroccan ‌army side was victor of the old-style African Champions Cup 41 years ago.

Published on May 17, 2026