Petro de Luanda stunned Mamelodi Sundowns to dump them out of the CAF Champions League quarter-final after a 3-2 aggregate win after their clash at FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.
Sundowns went into the game needing a 1-0 win or to outscore the Girabola league leaders after they lost 2-1 in Luanda last week.
And it appeared like the occasion was set up perfectly inside the iconic 2010 World Cup arena as they hosted a Sundowns Fan Appreciation Day – featuring some of the nation’s biggest artists while the 45000 available tickets were free of charge.
Supporters held their end of the bargain by pitching in the numbers and in high spirits in Soweto – but Petro didn’t get the script and spoiled the party to a point where the silence was deafening.
The tension in the stadium was evident from the first whistle and Peter Shalulile missing two chances he’d usually put away with ease this season perfectly encapsulated the pressure.
Sundowns, after all, their dominance in possession in the opening half, looked to be heading to a 0-0 scoreline at the break – but one of several VAR calls saw Themba Zwane have the chance to open the scoring with the last kick of the opening 45 minutes.
But their talisman stepped up and saw his effort hit the right side of the upright of the diving Wellington Lima.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom as South African superstar Casper Nyovest’s half-time performance seemingly lifted the mood once more before a rare Brian Onyango goal opened the scoring five minutes after the break.
It was a nervy and stop-start game from thereon in – with two more VAR calls, the second of which resulted in Petro earning a spot-kick which was duly slotted home by their inspirational captain Tiago Azulão which proved to be the final goal of the tie.
You could hear a pin drop. pic.twitter.com/zFLV33QgQl
— Lorenz Köhler (@Lorenz_KO) April 23, 2022
Petro held the South African champions, for all their dominance all season, to a 1-1 draw that saw them advance to the last-four of Africa’s elite club competition with Wydad Atheltic Club of CR Belouzidad awaiting them.
Masandawana have now only reached the last four once, in the 2018/19 season, since winning the title in 2016 – as their goal of becoming champions of Africa once more, has to wait another season.
Starting Line-ups:
Sundowns XI D. Onyango; Morena, De Reuck, B. Onyango, Lakay, Jali, Maboe, Maema, Ralani, Zwane, Shalulile.
Subs: Mweene, Modiba, Lebusa, Mokoena, Kekana, Mkhulise, Sirino, Kapinga, Šafranko.
Petro de Luanda XI: Wellington; Eddie, Pinto, Knito, Carneiro, Jaredi, Soares, Mague, Gleison, Yano, Azulão.
Subs: Agusto, Diogenes, Ito, Anderson, Job, Vidinho, Erico, Pedro, Maya.
