Wydad overcame Tanzanian hurdle Simba in the quarter-finals, losing the first leg in Tanzania with one goal, before overcoming goal difference in the second leg in Casablanca, when both teams resorted to penalty shootouts, and the defending champion qualified with a 4-3 penalty shootout.
Sun Downs managed to sweep Chabab Belouizdad in the first leg in Algeria, 4-1, before repeating victory in the second leg, with two goals to one.
A new experience in the face of stability
Wydad face their Sun Downs counterpart under new technical management, by Belgian Sven Vandenbroeck, who has taken over to succeed Juan Carlos Garrido, who left less than two months after his appointment.
Moroccan reports said Garrido’s dismissal was due to the team’s poor performance, second place in the local league and struggling against Simba in the quarter-finals.
As for Sun Downs, it is managed by Rolani Mokena, who managed to achieve positive results for the team and to continue the brilliant career of the South African champion in recent years.
Mokina said, before facing Wydad, commenting on the crowd pressure: “We managed to get a landslide victory by four against the young people of Belouizdad in Algeria, and tied with two goals for the same with Al-Ahly in Egypt. Both teams can play in the presence of a large audience.”
Moroccan supremacy
Moroccan Wydad and Sun Downs have faced each other in 10 previous games, Wydad have won 4 times and drawn 3 times, while Sun Downs have won 3 games.
In the two teams’ meetings, Wydad scored 7 goals, while Sun Downs scored 6.
Wydad managed to win the CAF Champions League title 3 times in 1992, 2017, 2022, while losing the final twice, while Sun Downs won the title once in 2016, while he lost his first final in 2001 against Al-Ahly.
Compete against the leaderboard
Wydad was able to collect 13 points in the group stage, to occupy the lead of the first group on 4 matches, a victory, a draw and a defeat.
As for Sun Downs, he managed to dominate the second group with 14 points, out of 4 wins and two draws.
The strongest offensive line in front of the strongest defense
Sun Downs is the strongest attacking line during the group stage and quarter-finals, having scored 20 goals, 14 goals in the group stage and 6 goals in the quarter-finals.
As for Wydad, they were the strongest line of defense during the group and the eight rounds, as they conceded only one goal in the group stage and the same in the quarter-finals.
Absences at Wydad
Wydad are absent from Sun Downs due to injury, Reda Al-Taknouti and Ismail Al-Metraji, in addition to the absence of Badi Awok, Imad Al-Khanous and Wenis Hanin due to technical reasons.
The Moroccan list of Wydad supports the strike force led by Hamid Ahdad, Mohamed Onajem and Yahya Atiyatallah, who participated with the Atlas Lions in fourth place in the Qatar World Cup.
The Sundowns strike force
As for Sun Downs, he came to Morocco with a strike force led by the Namibian Peter Chalwell, Zwane and Modiba.
Note that Chalwell is the top scorer in the African Champions League before entering the confrontation in the semi-finals, scoring 5 goals.
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