Sundowns finish with nine men in Champions League loss at Raja, Pirates soar to thumping win

Mamelodi Sundowns had two players sent off as they fell 1-0 away to Moroccan outfit Raja Casablanca on Saturday in a fiery CAF Champions League clash.

Midfielder Bathusi Aubaas was shown a straight red card late in the first half after a studs-up foul on Younes Najjari in the matchday 4 Group C showdown.

A similar offence 10 minutes from time resulted in Raja substitute winger Marouane Zila being sent off by the Mauritanian referee.

Full-back Khuliso Mudau was the second Sundowns player to be expelled after he struck forward Nawfel Zerhouni in the face during added time.

Raja won through a goal in the second minute of added time at the end of the first half with centre-back Benaissa Benamar firing into the net from close range amid appeals for offside.

It was the first win in the group stage for three-time former champions Raja and the first loss for Sundowns, winners of the premier African club competition in 2016.

Group leaders FAR Rabat, the other Moroccan contenders, won 2-0 at home to Maniema Union from the Democratic Republic of Congo in northern city Meknes.

Military team FAR, who in 1985 became the first African champions from Morocco, top the table with eight points after four rounds. Sundowns have five, Raja four and Maniema three.

Victory has opened a path to a top-two finish and a quarter-finals slot for Raja, who sacked Portuguese coach Ricardo Sa Pinto after losing away to Sundowns in the previous round.

Blunder

Raja will make the knockout stage if they beat FAR next Saturday and Maniema eight days later in the final round.

FAR have occupied first place since matchday 1 and a blunder by Maniema goalkeeper Efonge Brudel at the end of the first half helped them stay on top.

Brudel failed to grasp a free-kick from