Sundowns sneak into Champions League semi-finals after insipid performance against Young Africans

Ronwen Williams' brilliance, and a bit of luck helped Sundowns beat Yanga 3-2 in penalties at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, after both teams couldn't find the back of the net over two legs that started in Dar es Salam on Saturday and ended in Pretoria on Friday evening. 

Aziz Ki, however, can claim to have found the back of the net with an audacious strike just before the hour mark.

Television replays showed that the ball crossed the line, but referee Dahana Beida – with the guidance of the video assistant referee – ruled that the ball didn't cross the back of the net, much to the frustration of the Tanzanians. 

Beida didn't even bother to check the ball for himself, with the message relayed to him via his earpiece.

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Aziz Ki's thunderous effort off the crossbar is adjudged not to have crossed the line.

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That goal shook Sundowns' to the core, with the Brazilians far from their best against an organised and resolute Young Africans. But in the end, Sundowns' experience came to the fore – with the Tshwane side holding their nerves in the shootout. While Sundowns' were strong mentally, Ki crumbled.

The Burkina Faso international missed the second penalty, and his whole world came crushing down. He collapsed to the floor, and spent the rest of the shootouts crying and on the floor – even when his teammates had recovered with the score 1-1 after both teams took two penalties. 

While the performance is something that Sundowns wouldn't want to see again, but the mental fortitude they showed in this match could play a key role in their quest to