Football: Caf Champions League |30 September 2019

Record loss dumps Côte d’Or out of Champions League

Defending league champions Côte d’Or have exited the Confédération Africaine de Football Champions League in the most painful manner, after losing 1-11 to South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg match at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria on Friday.

In their first match at Stad Linite, the Praslin side lost 0-5, putting their chance of progression next to impossible.

Nicknamed the Brazilians, a reference to their football kits which resemble that of the Brazilian national team, the South African side advanced to the next stage on a 16-1 aggregate score.

The win means Sundowns shattered the record of biggest win in the premier continental club competition history. Moroccan side Difaa Jadida held the Caf Champions League biggest win record for a bit over a year since they defeated Guinnea Bissau club Benfica 10-0 at the preliminary round in 2018.

In the away match on Friday night, coach Pitso Mosimane made four changes to the side who thrashed Côte d’Or in the first-leg, with regulars Gaston Sirino, Themba Zwane and Thapelo Morena named in the line-up, while goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene replaced Reyaad Pieterse in goals.

The Brazilians took an early lead, precisely in the ninth minute through Zwane to set the tone for the match.

The hosts were finding a lot of space in the last third, which eventually saw the second goal arrive as Sirino doubled their lead in the 19th minute, before Sibusiso Vilakazi extended the advantage two minutes later with a close-range finish (3-0).

It was one-way traffic and Vilakazi completed his brace in the 24th minute to extend Sundowns' lead to four.

Vilakazi completed his hat-trick five minutes before half-time, after Côte d’Or failed to clear their lines (5-0). Morena scored another goal within in the last two minutes of the first half through a header inside the box as Sundowns went to the break with a six-goal lead.

The Brazilians’ charges were quick off the mark again in the second period, as Motjeka Madisha bagged the seventh goal two minutes after the break with a powerful strike inside the box.

Anele Ngcongca got on in the goal-scoring spree, as he got the eighth goal for Sundowns three minutes before the hour-mark with a tidy finish inside the box after slaloming his way through the Côte d'Or defence.

The Brazilians showed no signs of slowing down as Zwane grabbed the ninth goal with 16 minutes remaining with a first-time finish inside the box to complete his brace.

Three minutes later, Sirino delivered a teasing cross into the box that was turned towards the back of the net by the Côte d’Or captain Benoit Marie.

The Praslin side did managed to pull a goal back 11 minutes before time from a rare attack, courtesy of Voavy.

Mauricio Affonso got a debut goal for the Brazilians eight minutes before time with neat close range header, just two minutes of making his introduction.

That brought an end to the flurry of goals as Sundowns booked a spot in the group stages, Côte d'Or drop down to the Caf Confederation Cup play-off round.

R. D.