Mamelodi Sundowns finally arrived at their hotel in Rabat in the early hours of Thursday morning, ready to face AS FAR in Sunday’s Caf Champions League final second leg at the Prince Moulay Abddellah Stadium.
Sundowns flight delayed
Masandawana expected to arrive in the country a day earlier, but could not fly on Tuesday as they had yet to receive a permit to land in the Moroccan capital.
In the end, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) had to intervene to help Sundowns get to Rabat.
It appears in Morocco there is a different side to the story, with one report claiming that ‘official sources’ have told them Sundowns had always said they would arrive when they did.
“Official sources contacted by Le360 Sport categorically deny this version of events and denounce it as a staged event designed to fuel controversy before the second leg of the African Champions League final against AS FAR,” read an article on Moroccan sports website sport.le360.ma.
“According to these same sources, the schedule distributed in advance by the South African club clearly indicated that the delegation was expected to arrive in Morocco on Wednesday, May 20, and not the day before, as some media outlets have tried to suggest.
“The footage broadcast from O.R. Tambo International Airport, showing members of the delegation allegedly waiting for authorisation to travel to Morocco, is described as a “hoax” by the sources consulted. An artificial controversy that, according to them, serves neither the image of the Pretoria club nor that of African football,” the article continued.
“A telling fact: despite the accusations reported in the local press, Sundowns has not filed any official complaint with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and has not issued any statement denouncing any incident. This silence raises questions given the seriousness of the accusations.”
Zwane – ‘We know what to expect and we know what to do’
Sundowns are unlikely to be too badly affected by the travel delay, meanwhile, given how used their players are to travelling on the continent.
“Going to the final, we know what to expect and we know what to do,” Themba Zwane told Sundowns media.
“Our only aim is to lift the trophy at the end of the tournament. Mentally we are strong, our brotherhood is strong. Our support for one another with the schedule, where we have been travelling up and down the continent, coming home and going again after a day or two, it shows the mental strength we have.
“We want to make them (South Africans) proud by winning this Champions League.”
