CAF Champions League Final: Mamelodi Sundowns Beat Al Ahly To Reach First CAFCL Final in Nine Years
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Al Ahly Denied Fifth Consecutive Champions League Final by Sundowns
South African football has experienced a resurgence in recent years. The country’s national team, Bafana Bafana, currently hold the joint-longest unbeaten run alongside Spain of 18 matches dating back to the start of 2024.
Over the last two years, South Africa finished third in the previous edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, currently leads their group in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and has moved into the top 10 rankings according to FIFA in the CAF region.
The majority of players that make up the national team play their club football with Mamelodi Sundowns, who have won the country’s domestic league title (PSL) in each of the last seven campaigns and are en route to another this season, currently nine points clear of their closest rivals.
Now, Masandawana are looking to make their mark on the continental scene, having defied the odds by eliminating Al Ahly from the CAF Champions League on away goals, thanks to a dramatic late strike in Cairo on Friday.
The Red Devils have featured in the CAF Champions League final in each of the last five seasons and won the competition on four occasions, with the only exception being in 2021-22 when they were beaten by Wydad Casablanca 2-0.
In Friday’s semi-final, the Egyptian giants looked as though they had secured their spot in a sixth consecutive continental final after Taher Mohamed gave them the lead midday through the first half, but the South African side refused to throw in the towel.
As the match moved into stoppage time, Sundowns forward Peter Shalulile fired a low cross into the Al Ahly penalty area, which caused panic in their backline and resulted in Ahly defender Yaasser Ibrahim inadvertently turning the ball into his own net.
After the first leg ended goalless in Pretoria, and given that the CAF Champions League still operates on the away goals rule, the 1-1 draw in the second leg was enough to secure the victory for Masandawa and takes them back to the continental club tournament final for the first time since 2015-16.
You can follow every moment of the final using our CAF Champions League livescore tool right here on SportyTrader!
Orlando Pirates Miss Chance of an All-South African CAFCL Final
The semi-final of the CAF Champions League featured two Egyptian teams and two South African teams, meaning there was a possibility that the final would pit two sides from the same country against each other.
Orlando Pirates were the other South African representatives in the competition, but unlike Sundowns, they were unable to hold their advantage to progress to the final, losing 3-2 to Pyramids at the 30 June Stadium later the same day.
The Buccaneers made a dream start to the match, taking the lead in the 41st minute, but their opponents drew level just before the interval. Pirates went up 2-1 early in the second half, but again conceded just moments later, setting up a grandstand finish to the match.
With the game locked at 2-2, the Bucs had the advantage thanks to the away goals rule, but Congolese striker Fiston Mayele had the final say and fired Pyramids into the final with an 84th-minute go-ahead goal, which proved decisive.
The CAF Champions League final between Pyramids and Mamelodi Sundowns will be played over two legs on May 24 and June 1, and our football predictions will be available for those matches closer to kickoff.
