Kenyan international Brian ‘Niang’ Mandela was on target as Mamelodi Sundowns were bundled out of the CAF Champions League at the quarterfinals by Petro de Luanda on aggregate despite recording a one-all draw in the game.Petro had taken a 2-1 lead in Angola last week and only needed to avoid defeat in the return leg in South Africa to make it to the semifinals of the continental showpiece.It was a game in which the Ethiopian center referee Bamlak Tessema Weyesa made three trips to the VAR booth, awarding penalties in two of those instances, and disallowing a goal for the visiting Petro in another.49′ GOAL! Brian Onyango is on hand to tap home the rebound from Lakay’s free kick!#Sundowns #DownsLive #TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/lTR3dP8FtC— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) April 23, 2022 Masandawana could have taken the lead from the spot in the first half after the referee awarded a penalty for a foul on Thwambe Zwane in the box after an onfield VAR review, but Zwane hit the post and the ball went out for a goalkick.Lyle Lakay struck at goal from a freekick, forcing Petro’s custodian Wellington Lima to parry the ball but his save did not have enough power in it as the ball fell on the Kenyan who found the back of the net with a right-footed shot to give Sundowns the lead.Joaquim Marcos Cunga Balanga, commonly known as Quinito, thought he had equalized for the visitors 10 minutes in the second half but his goal was chalked off for an infringement on the goalkeeper, again after the intervention of the VAR.A valiant performance in front of the Yellow Nation ends in defeat!Mamelodi Sundowns (49′ B. Onyango) (2) 1️⃣➖1️⃣ (3) Atlético Petroléos (64′ Tiago) #Sundowns #DownsLive #TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/wOMUK6vb2e— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) April 23, 2022 The Angolan side leveled matters from the spot also to reclaim their lead in the tie on aggregate, again the penalty being awarded after yet another onfield review after Gleison Wilson da Silva Moreira was fouled in the box.Tiago Azulao stepped up to take the resultant kick and made no mistake, sending the Uganda custodian Denis Onyango the wrong way to draw the team level and restore their advantage.Efforts by the hosts to force the game to extra time were futile, with Petro eventually sealing a semifinal spot.
