SuperSport into semis, Downs in the dumps

There were contrasting emotions for the two South African clubs left in continental club competition as SuperSport United booked a first semifinal place in the African Confederation Cup, but Mamelodi Sundowns had their dream of retaining the African Champions League shattered.

SuperSport progressed to the last four with a dramatic lastgasp goal from Thuso Phala against Zesco United in Ndola.

“I’m very proud of the boys. They fought hard and showed great character and getting that late winner was extremely satisfying,” Eric Tinkler said.

“It was a nerve-racking finish and in the latter stages, the referee wasn’t doing anything to help us and they were looking to waste time.

“That is what made it so gratifying to win in the way we did. The boys just kept going.

“I had said before it would be a fight and it was. And the boys fought the whole way.”

Sundowns lost on Saturday night on penalties to Wydad Casablanca after three shocking kicks from Percy Tau‚ Yannick Zakri and Bangaly Soumaharo, who all took short run-ups and were off target. The tie ended 1-1 on aggregate after Sundowns’s slender lead from the first leg in Atteridgeville was quickly cancelled out by their Moroccan hosts in Rabat.

But Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane bemoaned the poor officiating on the continent.

“In the second half, we took the game to Wydad‚” Mosimane said. “We saw that they could not take the stress…. and we played in their half and piled on the pressure,” he said.

“We came here not to sit back, but to attack. But‚ unfortunately‚ you know football — with penalties anyone can win.

“We showed we wanted to play; we were not afraid.”

Mosimane said they lost the game in the quarterfinal first leg in Pretoria a week ago, when they could only manage a 1-0 win in a game they should have won comfortably.

“I think we lost the game in Pretoria‚ not in Morocco‚” Mosimane said.

“In Pretoria, we scored three goals, but the linesman flagged them offside. “They were not offside. “I regret the game in Pretoria. It’s very sad for football when an official makes a mistake like that.”