Mamelodi Sundowns Suffer Defeat to Esperance in the First Leg of CAF Champions League Semis

• Esperance vs Mamelodi Sundowns ended in victory for the Tunisian side in Tunis
• Yann Sasse scored the only goal of the game to give his side the crucial first-leg win
• The reverse fixture is slated for the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in South Africa on Friday

Mamelodi Sundowns suffered a 1-0 defeat to Esperance in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final on Saturday night.

The Tunisian side attacked the South African outfit from start to finish to claim a crucial first-leg win.

Sundowns played on the counter, and they came close to finding the back of the net in the 18th minute when goalkeeper Amanallah Memmich parried Ribeiro Costa's shot.

The visitors thought they had taken the lead in the 37th minute after Zwane found the back of the net, but the goal was chopped off following a Thembinkosi Lorch offside.

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Moments later, Esperance would have opened the scoring as they hit the woodwork before Divine Lunga cleared the danger.

The hosts eventually took the lead in the 41st minute as Yann Sasse found the back of the net to send the entire stands wild.

The 26-year-old striker tucked home from a rebound after Ronwen Williams had saved the initial chip, Snl24 reports.

Rhulani Mokwena made a number of attacking changes in the latter stages of the second half, introducing Peter Shalulile for Zwane.

Costa and Lorch were also replaced by Thapelo Maseko and Thapelo Morena respectively, but they all could not find the back of the net.

The Tunisian side managed to escape with the narrow win ahead of the second leg slated for the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Friday, April 26.

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Sports Brief earlier reported that Mamelodi Sundowns head coach, Rulani Mokwena, shared his thoughts on the team's recent performances despite holding an undefeated streak in the DStv Premiership.

He has admitted to not being entirely content with their gameplay, stressing the need for more time on the field to enhance cohesion and understanding among the players.

In recent matches, the manager has been cautious with his squad selections, aiming for consistency rather than frequent changes.