The lightning struck the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Friday night in the 22nd minute of the already electric return leg of the CAF Champions League semi-final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Esperance Tunis. The game was suspended for more than an hour during the downpour, and when the sides returned to the pitch to resume the battle, the plot just kept being bizarre.”If you can play then play. If you can’t play then don’t play” – match official has decided they cannot playSimple 😬🌧️⚡️☂️Play has been suspended after a lightning strike on 20 mins.Mamelodi Sundowns 🇿🇦 0-0 🇹🇳 Esperance#TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/9osqbIJl1K— Sahil Ebrahim (@sahil_e_) April 26, 2024 The South African champion hazardously pushed for a win that would take them over ES Tunis after a first-leg 1-0 defeat, but destiny had different plans for the Brazilians.After missing a handful of clear-cut chances in both halves in what will go down in history as one of the most one-sided CAF CL games ever, Mamelodi conceded from a single shot on target! And lost, again, 1-0 (2-0 on aggregate).RAED BOUCHNIBA 🇹🇳(2003) DOUBLES THE AGGREGATE LEAD WITH A LOVELY GOAL IN THE CAFCL SEMIFINAL!!!📽️ @NoussourTN pic.twitter.com/nN986dOrdp— Football Report (@FootballReprt) April 26, 2024 For the first time ever, Sundowns lost both legs in the knockout stages, while the visitors celebrated their eighth showdown qualification, their first since the 2018-19 season.The Tunisian slot found the back of the net from their only attempt of the night through Bouchniba, thus silencing the passionate home crowd. Despite being two goals down, the South African team remained aggressive and dominant (ball possession tells a story of its own, 72% vs 28%), but they just couldn’t find ways to get past the Esperance keeper tonight.##NAJAVA_MECA_8063298##ES Tunis will face Egyptian champ Al Ahly in the showdown after the latter routinely confirmed their flight to the final after a statement 3-0 home win over TP Mazembe (4-0 on agg). Three second-half goals, coming from Abdelmonem, Ali and Tawfik, wrapped up the tie in favour of the 11-time CAF CL winners. This will be the second time ES Tunis and Al Ahly face off in the final, as they met in the two-leg showdown six years ago, with Esperance celebrating a 4-3 win on aggregate.CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – SEMIFINALSecond legMamelodi Sundowns – ES Tunis 0-1 (0-0)/Bouchniba 57/(ES Tunis win 2-0 on agg)Al Ahly – TP Mazembe 3-0 (0-0)/Abdelmonem 68, Ali 83, Tawfik 90+12/(Al Ahly win 4-0 on agg)
