Aubrey Modiba wrote himself into Mamelodi Sundowns folklore on Sunday evening, curling home a stunning first-half free-kick to give the Brazilians a 1-0 advantage over AS FAR in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final at Loftus Versfeld – and for the left-back, the moment carried the weight of an entire year’s worth of hurt.
Sundowns were beaten finalists last season, losing the CAF Champions League final to Pyramids FC, and that pain has been a driving force throughout this campaign. When Modiba’s dead-ball effort found the net in the 37th minute, it all came flooding out in a passionate celebration
“It brought back all the emotions from last season when we lost the final, so for me, it was to say we finally score before half-time,” Modiba said of his celebration after the goal.
The free-kick was no accident. Modiba has put in hours of work on the training ground alongside fellow midfielder Teboho Mokoena, and he was quick to credit that dedication for the breakthrough.
“Obviously to help my team have the 1-0 advantage – I think we could have scored more goals but take the 1-0 to Morocco. From training, it starts from training, we practice a lot, me and Tebza, so I’m glad it paid off,” he said.
Sundowns will now travel to Rabat ahead of next Sunday for the second leg at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium, and Modiba is already locked in on what needs to be done.
He was careful not to let Sunday’s result breed any complacency, drawing a direct comparison to last season’s final run and stressing that the tie is far from settled.
“Yes, our first leg is better than last season, we always want to do better, and this time we have an advantage — hopefully going into the game we can use it to our own advantage. Make sure we keep the zero behind — it’s very important – and probably win the game,” he said.
‘We Want To Go To The World Cup As Champions’
Beyond the club ambition, there is also the tantalising prospect of heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup as African champions. Sundowns’ trip to the FIFA Club World Cup earlier in the campaign served as added motivation, and Modiba revealed the squad’s hunger to arrive at every stage of the game as winners.
“It would mean a lot because even going to the FIFA Club World Cup, we wanted to go as champions, we were disappointed it didn’t happen – this season we really want to go to the World Cup as champions,” he said.
“But like I said, we have another game, we can’t celebrate now as if the game is done, so our next focus is the next game in Morocco.”
The job, as Modiba made clear, is only half done. But with a precious one-goal lead in the bag, a redemption story twelve months in the making is firmly on track.
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