* Along with FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026 and FIFA Club World Cup 2029 having debuted in the competition last year in the United States
* It is the third time a club from the COSAFA region has lifted the trophy after Orlando Pirates’ success in 1995 and Sundowns’ victory in 2016
Maravi Express
South African club, Mamelodi Sundowns, who have lifted the CAF Champions League title after drawing 1-1 with Moroccan side, AS FAR in Rabat on Sunday — winning 2-1 on aggregate after their 1-0 triumph at home — will now face CAF Confederation Cup 2026 winners USM Alger of Algeria in the CAF Super Cup 2026.
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In their 3rd CAF Champions League final appearance, Sundowns — who first won the CAF Champions League in 2016 — recorded the third time that a club from the COSAFA region has lifted the trophy after Orlando Pirates’ success in 1995.
They also qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026 and the FIFA Club World Cup 2029 — having debuted in the competition last year hosted by the United States.
The CAF Super Cup 2026 pits the winners of CAF’s two interclub competitions against one another in a one-off contest and both Sundowns and USM have lifted the trophy before — the South African side in 2017 when they beat TP Mazembe 1-0, and the Algerians in 2023 when they defeated Egyptian side Al Ahly by the same scoreline.
The FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026 pits the winners of FIFA’s six confederations against one another, where Sundowns will join the top clubs from Europe, South, Central and North America, Asia and Oceania.
Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal have also already booked their spot, along with New Zealand’s Auckland City and Sundowns will meet the winner of the clash between those two clubs in the second round.
Sundowns will return to the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029, which brings together the leading teams from each confederation over a four-year period — with the winners of the CAF Champions League between 2025 and 2028 earning qualification.
Victory parade in South Africa
On Sunday, the Moroccan side, AS FAR, took the lead after 40 minutes with a penalty from captain Mohamed Hrimat to level the tie on aggregate after Sundowns claimed a 1-0 victory in the first leg in Pretoria.
But Teboho Mokoena responded with a rocket shot from the edge of the box that beat keeper Ahmed Tagnaouti and crashed into the net off the underside of the bar in first-half stoppage time.
Hrimat missed a second penalty for the hosts with 15 minutes remaining as Sundowns held on to claim the trophy — having suffered a shock defeat in the final last season against Pyramids FC of Egypt.
“It was fully deserved, what this team has been through, knocking on the door every season,” said Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. “Finally the door opened for us and we get to add the star to the jersey.”
The South Africans were much the better side in the first leg, but had to ride their luck in Rabat as AS FAR missed a host of late chances.
It was a case of third time lucky for Mamelodi’s Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso after he also lost in the decider in 2024 when he was in charge of Tunisia’s Esperance, who said for him, the victory was quite personal.
“It was time, last year I saw tears in my players, and a few of them they knew we promised each other we would have tears, but they would be from joy, not sadness,” he is quoted by SABC.
“I think you will have in your mind Khuliso Modau standing on the side of the bench in Cairo on that match we played against Pyramids last year, I embraced him and told him man, we are going to embrace next year.”—Reporting by CAFonline, COSAFA Media & SABC; edited by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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