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Rabat – Morocco’s AS FAR lost 1‑0 to Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final, but the players remain confident they can overturn the result in Rabat.
Forward Youssef El Fahli admitted the team was disappointed with the outcome and pointed to the poor pitch conditions in Pretoria. “We didn’t expect this result and we’re not satisfied,” he said.
“The ground was hard and different from what we are used to in Morocco. But we will impose our style at home and do everything to bring the trophy to our fans.” He also urged supporters to trust the team and give them full backing ahead of the decisive second leg.
Defender Younes Abdelhamid echoed the frustration, noting that AS FAR missed key chances in the first half. “We had opportunities from simple crosses but failed to take them,” he explained.
“They scored from a set piece, which was their main threat. Now we have one match left, and we will press them hard in Rabat to change the result.” Abdelhamid also pointed to the unusual stoppage caused by a VAR malfunction, which delayed the start of the second half by more than 15 minutes.
“We didn’t want to play without VAR, but eventually we had to until it came back midway through the half,” he said.
Midfielder Nolan Mbemba described the game as “very complicated” against one of Africa’s strongest sides.
“We suffered a lot and could have conceded more, but we stayed united,” he said. “We return with a 1‑0 scoreline, and we still have a chance next week with our fans behind us.”
The return match will be played at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday, May 24, with kickoff at 20:00 local time (GMT+1). AS FAR will need to overturn the one‑goal deficit to lift the Champions League trophy for the second time in their history.
