PRETORIA, April 18 (Reuters) - Colombian-born striker Brayan Leon saw his penalty saved but tucked away the rebound on Saturday to put South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns through to the African Champions League final at the expense of Esperance of Tunisia.
Leon had his 35th-minute spot kick parried by visiting goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said but snapped up the rebound to ensure a 1-0 home win at Loftus Versfeld.
Leon had scored the only goal of last Sunday’s first leg in Tunis and the 2-0 aggregate triumph means Sundowns are through to the final for a second successive season.
They will take on either Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces or Renaissance Berkane who meet later on Saturday with the military side 2-0 up from last weekend’s first leg in Rabat.
Sundowns, runners-up last season, were awarded the penalty after a throw-in back to Ben Said caught the goalkeeper napping as he tried to clear, with Leon sprinting down on him and getting a touch to the ball before the keeper made contact with him as he attempted to kick clear the ball.
Esperance came close to an equaliser minutes before halftime when an effort off the knee of French striker Florin Danho struck the Sundowns’ crossbar.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Clare Fallon)
