Sundowns open AFL campaign with away win against Petro

Ronwen Williams produced a Man of the Match performance to lead Mamelodi Sundowns to an opening day win in the African Football League following victory in Angola against Petro de Luanda.

The South African goalkeeper saved a penalty before goals from Marcelo Allende and Thapelo Maseko ensured the visitors take a first-leg advantage back home.

Williams was kept busy throughout the game after the hosts kept threatening the Sundowns defence.

Six minutes before half-time, the Angolans were awarded a penalty which was saved by Williams before pulling another equally good punch from the rebound by Gilberto.

After the break, Petro de Luanda mounted pressure on the former African champions, but it was Teboho Mokoena who will force a save from host goalie Hugo Marques.

With 23 minutes remaining, Allende broke the deadlock to give the visitors the lead before Maseko sealed victory with ten minutes remaining.

Sundowns will host Petro de Luanda next week in the second-leg of the newly-formed continental competition.

Al-Ahly were held in a pulsating 2-2 draw in the opening game of the competition.

The African Football League is a competition organised by the Confederation of African Football for eight elite teams on the continent, with a huge prize money for the ultimate winner.

The new pan-African competition kicked off on Friday in Tanzania with Simba SC hosting Al Ahly in a historic game at the fully-packed Benjamin Mpaka National Stadium, which ended two-all.