Allende counting on Downs experience in Morocco to see off AS FAR

Sowetan · May 19, 2026 · 370 words · By Neville Khoza

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What to know about Allende counting on Downs experience in Morocco to see off AS FAR

Story audio is generated using AI As Mamelodi Sundowns take a slender 1-0 lead to Morocco for the CAF Champions League final second leg against AS FAR in Rabat on Sunday, midfielder Marcelo Allende is banking on their experience in North Africa to get a…

Claims checked 5

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Allende said they expect a hostile environment in Morocco, but that their previous experience there will be key as they look to complete the job and clinch the title.

Common ground

Masandawana played in Morocco against AS FAR in this competition last year.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Allende counting on Downs experience in Morocco to see off AS FAR?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that we played against Wydad, Raja and AS FAR last year in the group stage?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-05-19-allende-counting-on-downs-experience-…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 5 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

cancel Disputed 1

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Claim 1: “we played against Wydad, Raja and AS FAR last year in the group stage”

CORROBORATED

Soccer Laduma specifically mentions that during the 2024/25 campaign, Sundowns were drawn against both FAR Rabat and Raja Club Athletic in the group stage. Marcelo Allende's quote also confirms facing all three (Wydad, Raja, AS FAR) in Morocco/group stages.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023–24 season was Raja Club Athletic's 75th season in existence and the club's 67th consecutive season in the top flight of Moroccan football. In addition to the domestic league, they also partic…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023–24_Raja_CA_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Stade Mohammed V (Arabic: ملعب محمد الخامس) is a multi-purpose stadium which is named after King Mohammed V and situated at the heart of Casablanca, Morocco, in the western part of the Maârif neighbor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stade_Mohammed_V

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Wydad Athletic Club (Arabic: نادي الوداد الرياضي, Arabic pronunciation: [naːdiː‿l.widaːd arrːiyaːdˤiː]), often known outside Morocco as Wydad AC , is a Moroccan sports club based in Casablanca. Wydad …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wydad_AC

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “Mamelodi Sundowns take a slender 1-0 lead to Morocco for the CAF Champions League final second leg against AS FAR in Rabat on Sunday”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources (Soccer Laduma, Soccer Mag, and KT Press) confirm that Mamelodi Sundowns won the first leg 1-0 against AS FAR and are heading to Rabat for the second leg.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 CAF Champions League final were the final matches of the 2024–25 CAF Champions League, the 61st edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_CAF_Champions_League_fina…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025–26 CAF Champions League, officially the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League for sponsorship purposes, is the 62nd season of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confedera…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_CAF_Champions_League

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 CAF Champions League final is the two-legged final of the 2025–26 CAF Champions League, the 62nd edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_CAF_Champions_League_fina…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “They have also faced Wydad Athletic and Raja AC in the country before”

CORROBORATED

Player Marcelo Allende explicitly states they have experience playing in Morocco against Wydad and Raja. This is supported by the context of their CAF Champions League history provided in the search results.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024–25 season is Raja Club Athletic's 76th season in existence and the club's 68th consecutive season in the top flight of Moroccan football. In addition to the domestic league, they are also par…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024–25_Raja_CA_season

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “The 27-year-old Chilean international”

DISPUTED

The claim states the player is 27 years old. However, the Wikipedia entry for Marcelo Allende explicitly states he was born on 7 April 1999. As of 2024/2025, he would be 25 or 26, not 27.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Salvador Allende was the president of Chile from 1970 until his death in 1973, and head of the Popular Unity government; he was a Socialist and the first Marxist elected to the national presidency of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Salvador_Allende

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, extending along a narrow strip of land betwee…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Marcelo Iván Allende Bravo (born 7 April 1999) is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier Soccer League side Mamelodi Sundowns and the Chile national team. A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcelo_Allende

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “Masandawana played in Morocco against AS FAR in this competition last year.”

CORROBORATED

A quote from player Marcelo Allende and a report from Soccer Laduma confirm that Sundowns faced AS FAR in the group stage of the 2024/25 campaign (last year/season), which involved matches in Morocco.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies Football Club is a women's professional soccer club based in Pretoria, South Africa. The team competes in the SAFA Women's League, the top tier women's football league in Sout…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamelodi_Sundowns_Ladies_F.C.

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.