Mamelodi Sundowns, the reigning CAF Champions League champions, have been knocked out of the tournament in the second preliminary round by Angola’s Wiliete, in one of the biggest surprises of the current edition.
The South African giant’s elimination came at home and in front of their fans at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, ending their journey to defend the continental crown before reaching the group stage.
The two teams drew 1-1 in the second leg on Friday evening, after Tashreeq Matthews gave Sundowns the lead in the 11th minute, before Angolan striker Mabululu scored the decisive equalizer in the 49th minute.
The first leg had ended in a goalless draw in Angola, leaving the aggregate score tied at 1-1, with Wiliete snatching qualification thanks to the away goals rule, which remains applied in the African competition.
The magnitude of the upset is heightened considering that Sundowns was crowned champions of the last edition in May after defeating Morocco’s AS FAR 2-1 on aggregate in the final, securing their second title in the tournament following their first triumph in 2016.
In contrast, Wiliete achieved a historical milestone by qualifying for the group stage for the first time under the leadership of their Brazilian coach, Beto Bianchi, after finishing last season as runners-up in the Angolan League and winning their country’s cup for the first time as well.
The Angolan side had overcome Seychelles’ Forresters 5-0 on aggregate in the first preliminary round before eliminating the defending champions, making up for their exit in the previous edition against Tanzania’s Young Africans on the same aggregate scoreline.
Mabululu, the former Al Ittihad Alexandria striker and Egyptian Premier League top scorer for the 2022-2023 season, played a starring role in this journey; after scoring three goals against Forresters, he added a fourth that ended Sundowns’ dreams and handed Wiliete the ticket to the group stage.
