AS FAR boss issues defiant warning to Sundowns despite Loftus heartbreak

AS FAR head coach Alexandre Santos insists his side is standing on solid ground and fully capable of staging a comeback, despite suffering a narrow defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final.

The Moroccan giants, making their historic first appearance in the tournament’s finale since 1986, fell 1-0 to Masandawana at a raucous Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Brazilians take a first-leg lead into Morocco, but it’s not done yet 👆

Mamelodi Sundowns (37′ Modiba) 1️⃣➖0⃣ AS FAR#Sundowns #TotalEnergiesCAFCL #AreyengMasandawanaUntilItsDone pic.twitter.com/UBXx4ab5JF

— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) May 17, 2026

A moment of brilliance separated the sides in the 37th minute when Aubrey Modiba unleashed an audacious free-kick from range, handing the South African champions a vital, albeit slender, advantage ahead of next weekend’s return leg. However, Sundowns’ celebrations were tempered later in the match when Modiba was forced off with an apparent hamstring injury.

Sundowns will feel they should have boarded the plane to North Africa with a much healthier cushion. The hosts unleashed an avalanche of attacking pressure, but a lack of clinical finishing—most notably from forward Brayan Léon, who spurned a pair of crucial one-on-one opportunities—left the door open for the visitors.

Reflecting on the defeat, the AS FAR coach Santos paid credit to Sundowns’ quality but warned that the tie is far from over.

AS FAR COACH REACTS TO SUNDOWNS DEFEAT IN CAF CL FIRST LEG TIE

🚨 “𝐖𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧.”

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso reacts to the 1-0 first-leg win over AS FAR tonight.

He warns that the job is only half-done and promises Down will fight… pic.twitter.com/C7gxzQ1IXn

— Pan-Africa Football (@PanAfricaFooty) May 17, 2026

“We didn’t come here to lose, but we are very much alive heading into the second leg,” Santos told the media. “We want to try to change the scoreline at home with the backing of our own supporters.

“Sundowns dominated possession, and we didn’t enjoy as much of the ball as we wanted, but I felt we still created decent opportunities in the first half to perhaps pinch a draw. We expected more chances to score, but this is only halftime. The second half is next weekend, and we have to do more.”

The Portuguese tactician remains adamant that his troops have another gear to find in Rabat.

“For sure, we will do more because we are capable of it. It was not easy because Sundowns is a very big, very strong team. Everybody knows that. But everyone in our squad also knows we have a very good chance to face them next week and achieve what we want—which is to score, reverse this result, and lift the title.”

The match was not without its bizarre controversies. The start of the second half was severely disrupted by a technical blackout that left the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system offline. Following an agonising 22-minute delay on the pitch, play ultimately resumed without the technology before the system was finally restored midway through the half.

Santos did not hide his frustration regarding the logistical hitch.

“I think the VAR situation didn’t help us. A lot of time was wasted just trying to restart the game. Unfortunately, these kinds of things shouldn’t happen in matches of this magnitude. Now, our focus has to turn to recovering, getting back to Rabat, and giving everything we have in the next game.”