Another CAF Champions League match at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria was overshadowed by a fan fight during the clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and AS FAR yesterday (May 17).

Sundowns, who often play matches at Loftus, faced their Moroccan counterparts in the first leg of the final, and eventually came out 1–0 victors thanks to a brilliant free-kick by Aubrey Modiba.

However, there was controversy and chaos on and off the field.

Off the field

Videos have gone viral after supporters from both teams were seen engaged in violent clashes in the stands at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Police can also be seen intervening in the footage.

Watch the videos:

This is not the first incident of its kind.

Last year, fans fought after Sundowns’ CAF Champions League quarter-final win against Esperance. During this clash, amid the unrest, a good Samaritan among the Sundowns fans helped an Esperance fan who was seen to have fallen over the tier-one railing and could not pull himself back up.

On the field

According to The Citizen, the start of the second half was delayed yesterday by a glitch in the video assistant referee (VAR) system at Loftus. Eventually, the game resumed, but without VAR.

ESPN reports that there was also controversy before kick-off over the refereeing appointment of Jean-Jacques Ndala. He officiated the Africa Cup of Nations final in which Senegal walked off the pitch in protest over the officiating.

At this stage, the cause of the brawl is not known. Neither is it known if any injuries were reported, any arrests were made or if there is any stadium damage.

Caxton Network News awaits official comment from Sundowns and SAPS. The management of Loftus referred our query to the event organiser.

The two sides meet again on May 24 in the decisive return leg in Rabat.

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