On a Sunday night that added another chapter to his continental legacy, Uganda’s Denis Onyango again stood among Africa’s champions as his side, Mamelodi Sundowns, won the CAF Champions League after a 2-1 aggregate victory over Morocco’s FAR Rabat.
The final was decided over two legs. Sundowns won 1-0 in Pretoria before drawing 1-1 in Rabat to seal the title 2-1 on aggregate.
The one that in Morocco, the venue, The Prince Moulay Abdallah, yeah, that’s where the Africa Cup of Nations final was. The game between Morocco and Senegal.
We all in Africa so now we can relate with Morocco a lot more.
So, they were playing against AS FAR, which is the Royal Armed Forces of Morocco. It’s a club in the league.
Because of a stage of development of Africa, the CAF Champions League final is played on a two-legged basis.
Home and away. The first leg was last week in Pretoria. Sundowns won that by a goal to nil.
The second leg was in Rabat. And that one ended 1-1. So, Sundowns win the title 2-1 after that equaliser from Mokoena.
They had gone a goal down and they were on the back foot. And then a very sweet volley by Mokoena ensured that Dennis Onyango, who was on the bench, the former Uganda Cranes captain, is a champion of Africa again.
Remember, he was on the team that won in 2016. And was also on the team that lost the final last year to Pyramids in the 2024/25 season.
During the celebration for that equaliser for Sundowns, the Moroccan fans had been mocking the Sundowns players. And Onyango threw a bottle towards the crowd. And it was seen on video.
So, in the immediate, when the equaliser went in he wasn’t sent off. But at half-time, when they went to the dressing room, the referee looked for him and showed him red.
So, he got a medal but did not get a chance to play and actually, towards the end of the game, fortunately didn’t lose.
Because I imagine a scenario, after Dennis Onyango being shown red and Rowen Williams got injured, your the second choice goalkeeper and supposed to come on and you’re not there. And they have to pull on the third choice.
Actually, towards the end of the game, in added time, Rowen Williams came down and signalled to the coach, João Cardoso, to make a change.
It’s not known if whether Williams knew that Onyango had been shown red. Because of the amount of respect, and in South Africa, the amount of respect Onyango has with the South African football public and fellow players, Rowen Williams must have thought, they give Onyango this opportunity to come on and maybe be in goal for the final five minutes or so, as they were cruising through a title. He called for a sub and Cardoso ignored him.
So, he gets that second medal but did not get a chance to play and at 41 years It’s okay and you’re getting money into your pocket.
And also, one of the things that started with the six million dollars, the agreement that the owner of the club, who is one of Africa’s richest men, Patrice Motsepe, is that all the prize money that the players win, they will take 75% of it.
So, when you see six million dollars, just know the players are sharing anywhere above 4.2 million dollars.
So, when you talk about Vipers and think 300 million, which is a lot of money, they have over 4.2 million dollars from that money to share and the rest goes into the club.
The 1.8m dollars, which is the money they will use to develop the players and because they attract some of the best players.
But as they were doing that, there’s also a minor, it’s looks minor now depending on where you sit, they lost the league title in South Africa because on Saturday, Orlando Pirates won their first league title in 14 years.
Pirates needed to win on the final day against Orbit College and they won that away 2-0 to win the league by one point as Sundowns were in Morocco trying to win their second Champions League title.
So, both teams go home happy, but a huge title and shows how much of an investment Sundowns have put in to get back to this level.
Sundowns have been competing and rubbing shoulders with with all these giants across the continent.
And we are talking about perhaps the only club that is showing the same in the Southern Hemisphere because TP Mazebe now has declined significantly.
So, African football today is largely dominated by North Africa and Sundowns look like the only warrior South of the Sahara.
Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango apologised after he was sent off during his side’s CAF Champions League triumph on Sunday night.
The South African giants won the competition for the second time after drawing 1-1 with FAR Rabat in the second leg of the final in Morocco.
Sundowns secured a 2-1 aggregate victory after winning the first leg 1-0 in Pretoria.
FAR Rabat took the lead in the 40th minute when Mohamed Hrimat converted a penalty following a VAR review, levelling the tie on aggregate and lifting the home crowd.
However, Sundowns responded before halftime through Teboho Mokoena, who fired home a first time strike after good work from Brayan Leon and Tashreeq Matthews to make it 1-1 on the night.
During the celebrations for the equaliser, Onyango, who was on the bench, joined his teammates before an incident near the Sundowns technical area.
The Ugandan goalkeeper threw a water bottle back towards the stands after objects were allegedly thrown at the Sundowns bench, leading to his dismissal.
The red card left Sundowns without a backup goalkeeper on the bench for the rest of the match.
“The final is an emotional game. I shouldn’t have done that with the experience I have, but that is football,” Onyango said after the match to Media Personality Annet Mugabi.
FAR Rabat continued to press in the second half and were awarded another penalty in the 74th minute after a VAR review. Hrimat stepped up again, but goalkeeper Ronwen Williams made a crucial save to keep Sundowns ahead on aggregate.
Sundowns held firm in the closing stages, although Lebogang Mothiba later had a goal ruled out for offside.
The victory handed Sundowns their second CAF Champions League title and completed a memorable campaign under coach Miguel Cardoso.
Onyango was also part of the Sundowns side that won the trophy in 2016.
“It’s incredible winning it again with the guys. They put up a good fight and everyone gave his best,” he added.
In the end, Denis Onyango added another Champions League medal to his career, without playing in the final, but still part of the champions.
