Onyango’s Sundowns bask in CAF Champions League glory
What you need to know:
- Custodian Onyango did what Yunus Ssentamu (2014), SC Villa (1991) and Simba (1972) failed to do in those years respectively.
KAMPALA. It is a year that Denis Onyango will not forget in his almost one-and-a-half decade goalkeeping career.
Seven weeks after helping the Uganda Cranes to the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 38 years, Onyango reached another milestone.
He became the first Ugandan ever to win the CAF Champions League after his South African club Mamelodi Sundowns beat Egyptian outfit Zamalek 3-1 on aggregate on Sunday.
Custodian Onyango did what Yunus Ssentamu (2014), SC Villa (1991) and Simba (1972) failed to do in those years respectively.
On top of winning the South African ABSA Premiership this year, Onyango and Sundowns will now play at the Fifa Club World Cup alongside due December 8-18 in Japan.
For his 14 clean sheets, Onyango was voted best goalkeeper of that season and the entire catalogue of achievements earned him slots on two 30-man shortlists for CAF African Footballer of the Year and also Best Player in Africa.
On Sunday, Onyango and company took a three goal advantage to Alexandria following a 3-0 first leg win in Pretoria.
But he limped and was stretchered off in the 28 minute after heavy contact with opponent Stanley Ohawuchi. Wayne Sandilands replaced Onyango and had to pull off a couple of saves before half time.
However, Nigerian Ohawuchi’s shot in the 64th minute beat Sandilands, sending the 86000-seater Borg El Arab Stadium into a frenzy. But that brief hope was not enough as Sundowns held on to seal their first continental title.
CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
Sundowns 3-0 Zamalek
Zamalek 1-0 Sundowns
ONYANGO FACT FILE
Full Name: Denis Masinde Onyango
Home Village: Busia
Height: 6ft 2in
Early career: Sharing, Nsambya
SENIOR CAREER
Years Team
2004-2005: SC Villa
2005-2006: St. George SA
2006-2010: Supersport United
2011-2013: Mamelodi Sundowns
2013-2014: Bidvest Wits
2014- To date: Mamelodi Sundowns