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Mamelodi Sundowns’ Caf Champions League campaign came to an end after they were held to a 0-0 by Horoya AC of Guinea at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville on Tuesday night.

The 2016 champions came into the match needing a win of any margin to progress to the knockout stages on head to head but coach Pitso Mosimane’s men wasted many chances against this modest Horoya side.

This was Sundowns’ fourth match in all competitions where they have failed to score and on this occasion it was Jeremy Brockie, Sibusiso Vilakazi and Gaston Sirino who were most wasteful after they dominated most of the possession.

While Sundowns mostly played attacking football, Horoya, who knew that a draw was enough to take them to the quarterfinal, sat back and tried to catch the Brazilians on the counter attack.

Sundowns will have to wait for next season to have another crack at this continental competition and their focus will turn to the MTN8 semifinal, second leg against Cape Town City on Sunday.

Sundowns end the group stages sitting third below defending champions Wydad Casablanca and Horoya with AS Togo-Port at the bottom.

The first chance of the match fell to Brockie but his tame shot from outside the penalty box could not trouble visiting goalkeeper Khadim N’diaye after he received the ball from Sirino in the 19th minute.

In the 24th minute, Horoya almost shocked Sundowns with the opening goal through Godfred Asante who unleashed a long range shot that nearly caught goalkeeper Denis Onyango off guard.

Horoya had a few moments on the attack with Mandela Cansey and Abou Camara their main protagonists but they could not find the way past the Sundowns defence that was marshaled by Ricardo Nascimento.

Sundowns missed another opportunity two minutes after the break when Vilakazi missed a sitter from a Sirino cross.

Onyango produced a brilliant diving safe to deny Brefo Mensah from a free kick outside the box after Tebogo Langerman was adjudged to have hacked Bolaji Sakin just before the hour mark.

Sundowns continued to push for the winning goal in the closing stages but Horoya stood firm to move to the next round of the Champions League.

While Sundowns mostly played attacking football, Horoya, knew that a draw was enough for them