AS FAR saw their hopes of winning the 2025-26 CAF Champions League disappear after a dramatic final against Mamelodi Sundowns FC ended in disappointment for the Moroccan side.
A 1-1 draw in the second leg in Rabat proved insufficient to overturn the 1-0 defeat suffered in Pretoria, allowing Sundowns to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory and lift the continental title for the second time in the club’s history.
For the Royal Army side, the defeat was shaped by a combination of tactical misjudgements, missed opportunities and defensive instability, with several decisive moments ultimately turning the tie in favour of the South African champions.
The Moroccan club entered the return leg under pressure to erase the first-leg deficit and immediately attempted to seize control of the match with an aggressive attacking approach.
However, the urgency to score early appeared to come at a significant cost.
Players pushed forward in large numbers during the opening stages in an effort to quickly level the aggregate score, but the approach left defensive gaps and disrupted the team’s organisation at the back.
The lack of balance between attack and defence allowed Sundowns to exploit open spaces with precision and composure. The visitors capitalised on those weaknesses by scoring a crucial away goal that dramatically increased the pressure on the home side and complicated the tactical calculations of the coaching staff.
The concession shifted momentum firmly towards Sundowns, who were able to absorb pressure while maintaining their defensive structure.
Another defining moment arrived with the missed penalty from Royal Army captain Mohammed Rabie Harimat.
The opportunity was widely viewed as a turning point in the contest, with the potential goal capable of reviving the Moroccan side’s hopes and restoring confidence inside the stadium.
Harimat had previously shown composure from the penalty spot, but this time Sundowns goalkeeper Williams produced an important save at a critical stage of the match.
The miss dealt a psychological blow to the home side and allowed the South African team to regain greater control over the tempo of the game during the closing periods.
While Royal Army eventually managed to score once from another penalty kick, they struggled to consistently create dangerous opportunities from open play.
Questions were also raised about the tactical management of Portuguese coach Alexander Santos, whose strategy came under scrutiny after the final whistle.
Critics argued that the coach failed to adapt effectively to Sundowns’ disciplined defensive system and did not find alternative attacking solutions capable of breaking down the visitors’ compact structure.
Despite dominating periods of possession and pushing forward repeatedly, the Moroccan side lacked creativity and efficiency in the final third.
The forwards frequently appeared isolated against the organised Sundowns defence, highlighting the absence of a clear secondary plan once the initial attacking strategy failed to produce results.
Sundowns, by contrast, displayed tactical discipline and experience throughout the two-legged final. The South African side absorbed pressure calmly, took advantage of key moments and managed the decisive stages of the contest with maturity.
For Royal Army, the defeat represented a painful end to a campaign that had raised hopes of another continental triumph. Instead, the final exposed weaknesses in game management, defensive organisation and tactical flexibility at the highest level of African football.
Although the Moroccan side came close to changing the outcome on several occasions, the combination of defensive errors, a missed penalty and ineffective attacking play ultimately ensured that the CAF Champions League trophy would travel to South Africa rather than remain in Rabat.
