. Mamelodi Sundowns face a tough challenge as they host Wydad Casablanca in the second leg of the AFL Cup final at Loftus Stadium in Pretoria. The home side will need to overcome a 2-1 deficit from the first leg, but they have a valuable away goal to boost their chances. Mamelodi Sundowns are also delighted to welcome back Peter Shalulile, their prolific 30-year-old striker who has been out of action since August with an ankle injury.
Shalulile has been a key player for Sundowns this season, netting five goals in all competitions. His recovery is a huge boost for Sundowns as they aim to clinch the prestigious trophy. In a chat with Robert Marawa, the Mamelodi Sundowns’ coach expressed his happiness with Shalulile’ s progress during his rehabilitation. The coach also praised the improvement of other important players like Lucas Ribeiro, Bathusi Aubaas, and Shalulile himself.
”Lucas looked much better,”. Aubaas looked much better. And Peter Shalulile looked much better,” as quoted by Farpost. “But we still have to wait and see because we have a few more training sessions. They are now at the stage where they will work with the conditioning coaches to check and test their level of fitness.”
“I saw him today after we had a medical check and some good recovery for the boys. He seems to be in a good mood like many of the others… hopefully he’s ready,” he added. However, he stressed that nothing is certain yet and that final decisions will be made in consultation with conditioning coaches. Nonetheless, the coach’s optimistic remarks suggest Shalulile’ s possible availability for the final clash.
Despite suffering a 2-1 defeat in the first leg, Mamelodi Sundowns can take comfort in the away goal they scored against Casablanca. If the aggregate score is level, the away goal could be decisive in determining the winner. This advantage gives Sundowns extra incentive and belief as they get ready to play in front of their passionate home fans at the Loftus Stadium.
The stage is ready for a thrilling match as the two teams battle it out in what promises to be a historic showdown in the African Football League final.