All roads lead to Loftus Versfeld Stadium as Mamelodi Sundowns vs Wydad AC lock horns in the second leg of the African Football League final.
The match will kick off at 15:00 South African Standard Time on Sunday, 12 November 2023 in Mamelodi, Pretoria, South Africa.
Game Alert!⚽️
It's Mamelodi Sundowns vs Wydad AC, and the stakes are high!
Who will emerge as the ultimate champion?🏆
🚨Live
⏰14:30
📆Sun, 12 Nov
📺 SABC 1#SABCSportFootball #AfricanFootballLeague pic.twitter.com/aZ2NATsKo8— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) November 10, 2023
Mamelodi Sundowns & Wydad AC match preview
The first leg between these sides was a spectacle of African football as 45,000 spectators witnessed the intensity of the affair at the Mohamed V Stadium.
Four minutes before the end of the first-half, Rivaldo Coetzee turned the ball into his own net after a pass from Mountassir Lahtimi.
In the second half, Abdelmounaim Boutouil leveled the scores for the South Africans from the penalty spot in the 75th minute as Yahya Jabrane was adjudged to have handled the ball.
However, substitute Anas Serrhat scored from a long range strike in the 78th minute to hand Wydad a 2-1 victory.
The second leg at the Loftus Versfeld will decide who takes home the inaugural AFL trophy, with home support expected to play a crucial part in the Brazilians' quest to script history.
Mamelodi Sundowns & Wydad AC path to the final
Sundowns kicked off their AFL journey in a quarter-final matchup against Petro de Luanda where the Brazilians won 2-0 away from home and followed that result with a goalless draw at home.
In the semi-finals, Sundowns played the tournament's favourites Al Ahly, first at home with a 1-0 scoreline; both teams then played a scoreless draw in Cairo to send the PSL champions straight to the finals.
Wydad AC, meanwhile, played Enyimba International of Nigeria in the quarter-final and emerged 4-0 winners on aggregate after both legs.
In the semi-final stage, the Red Castle's met Esperance of Tunisia; they won at home 1-0 and lost away on the same scoreline where the fate of who goes to the finals was decided on penalties, which the Moroccans won to set up a final appearance with Sundowns.
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Wydad AC probable lineups
Mamelodi Sundowns
Junior Mendieta will take no part in the game as he's suspended, having received a red card in the goalless draw with Al Ahly in the semi-final.
Coach Rhulani Mokwena has injury concerns as Peter Shalulile, Abubeker Nasir and Bathusi Aubaas are doubtful for the heavyweight clash.
Probable lineups for Mamelodi Sundowns: Williams (GK); Coetzee, Mokoena, Boutouil, Kekana; Modiba, Allende, Mudau, Nku, Zwane, Maseko.
Wydad AC
Mountassir Lahtimi is doubtful for this encounter following his injury just before the break in the first leg. Hamdou Elhouni is expected to take his place in the team while Charki El Bahri leads the line for the visitors.
Probable lineups for Wydad AC: Motie (GK); Amloud, Aboulfath, Harkass, Allah; Elhouni, Jabrane, Draoui; Haimoud, Bahri, Boussefiane.
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Wydad AC confirmed lineups
*Lineups will be automatically updated shortly after they're released
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Wydad AC head-to-head and key stats
- Mamelodi Sundowns have won just one of their last six encounters against Wydad Casablanca (D4 L1), scoring just four goals, and conceding twice in each of the last two games (D1 L1).
- Wydad Casablanca are looking to win consecutive matches against Mamelodi Sundowns for the first time since April 2019.
- Sundowns have never lost a home match against Wydad, alternating between a win and a draw in their six such games against the Moroccan side (W3 D3).
- The last two matches between both teams have seen an average of 3.5 goals per game (2-1 in the first leg and 2-2 in the CAF Champions League in May), after the first 11 games between the two sides saw an average of just 1.2 (13 goals in total).
- Mamelodi Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 24 home matches in all competitions (W20 D4), keeping clean sheets in five of their last seven such games.
- Wydad have won seven of their last eight matches in all competitions (L1), while their sole defeat did come away from home – in the second leg of their semi-final against Esperance (1-0) in the AFL (they progressed to the final on penalties).
- Sundowns’ Teboho Mokoena had four shots in the first leg against Wydad Casablanca, twice as many as any other player. He has attempted nine shots (three on target) overall in the competition, the most by any player without scoring.
- Wydad Casablanca’s Yahya Attiat-Allah has created 11 chances for his teammates, with at least four more than any other player in the competition this season. He’s also played the most passes (34) into the opposition box.
- In the AFL, Sundowns have scored 100% of their goals (4/4) during the second half, netting more than any other team in the competition in the last 45 minutes, while both goals Wydad Casablanca have conceded came in the second half.
Where to watch Mamelodi Sundowns vs Wydad AC live
This match will be broadcast live on SABC Sports, SABC 1 and CAF TV on YouTube. Fans can stay in touch with the action by keeping an eye on live updates posted across both team's social media pages.
This article was most recently revised and updated 10 months ago
