High-stakes drama has erupted off the pitch ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated CAF Champions League final second leg. South African powerhouse Mamelodi Sundowns were left stranded at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday after Moroccan authorities reportedly denied landing rights to the club’s privately chartered aircraft.
The unexpected travel blockade has forced the entire playing squad and technical team to return to their homes, costing the Tshwane giants a crucial day of preparation and acclimatization in North Africa.
Turned Back at the Departure Gate
According to investigative sports journal The Marawa Scorpions, helmed by veteran broadcaster Robert Marawa, the Brazilians had already completed their full departure protocol—checking in their luggage and successfully clearing international immigration—before being hit with the logistical bombshell.
The chartered flight was scheduled to touch down at the Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, allowing the team to make the short trip to Rabat ahead of their Sunday night clash against AS FAR.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Robert Marawa detailed the chaotic scene:
“The Marawa Scorpions report that Mamelodi Sundowns were due to travel to Morocco today BUT the players and technical Team members are back at their homes after spending a huge chunk of the day at the OR Tambo International Airport. The team had even gone through immigration!!! Morocco has not given Sundowns (hired charter) landing rights at Mohammed V International Airport. Not sure what’s next in this Morocco vs SA saga….”
A Crucial Day of Preparation Lost
The administrative standoff deals a significant psychological and physiological blow to Manqoba Mngqithi’s preparation strategy. Holding a slender 1-0 aggregate lead courtesy of an Aubrey Modiba free-kick stunner in Pretoria, Masandawana had planned an early arrival to adapt to the intense North African climate and hostile environment well ahead of Sunday’s 21:00 kickoff.
The Toxic Backdrop: Aggression and Stand-offs
This airport standoff is the latest, most severe flashpoint in an increasingly volatile and fractured relationship between South African and Moroccan football structures during this final series.
The first leg at Loftus Versfeld Stadium was already thick with controversy:
- VAR Failure: A critical technical malfunction in the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system caused a prolonged, highly tense delay to the start of the second half.
- Stand Unrest: Violent scuffles erupted in the stadium upper tiers. Traveling Moroccan fans claimed they were targeted and assaulted by local supporters and private stadium security personnel.
- Severe Injury: The fan violence led to a harrowing incident where a Moroccan supporter, identified as Amine, plunged from the upper tier of the stadium structure. He remains hospitalized in Pretoria under intensive care after sustaining multiple fractures to his shoulder, ribs, arm, and hand.
With a massive continental trophy on the line, the off-field hostility has officially reached a boiling point. CAF is expected to intervene swiftly to resolve the travel logjam and ensure the safe passage of the South African champions into Morocco.
