Defending Champions Mamelodi Sundowns’ almost two-year dream run in continental football crashed to an end with their 3-2 penalties 2017 Caf Champions League quarterfinal defeat against Wydad Casablanca in Morocco on Saturday night.

Salaheddine Saidi put Wydad ahead in the second leg in the 26th minute‚ and at 1-1 in the tie‚ at a packed‚ hostile 52 000-seater Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.

Downs had taken a 1-0 lead into the second leg thanks to Yannick Zakri’s goal in the first at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday.

They conceded early in Rabat‚ then fought their way back into the game but could not breach Wydad’s watertight defence.

Sundowns faced an opening half-hour onslaught in front of the hostile‚ vociferously vocal chanting and whistling of the home crowd‚ and had goalkeeper Denis Onyango to thank for conceding just the lone goal in a torrid opening half-hour.

Guillaume Nicaise Daho was Downs’ chief tormentor.