Mamelodi Sundowns scored five goals in Nigeria and Orlando Pirates conceded three in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday in a mixed day for South Africa in CAF Champions League qualifying.

Sundowns were runners-up to Egyptian side Pyramids in the premier African club competition last season and once again rank among the favourite to pocket the $4 million first prize.

But despite being among the Champions League title contenders for many seasons, not even their most partisan supporters foresaw a 5-1 second round, first leg victory over Remo Stars in Abeokuta.

Mamelodi Sundowns make a massive statement against Nigeria's Remo Stars 👆🟡#TotalEnergiesCACL | #SSFootball pic.twitter.com/q8bcTMdcZd

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) October 19, 2025

Namibian Peter Shalulile, Portuguese Miguel Reisinho and Brazilian Arthur Sales were among the five scorers for Sundowns, who led 2-0 at half-time.

While no Nigerian club has won the Champions League since Enyimba in 2004, representatives from the most populous country in Africa are usually competitive at home in continental competitions.

Pirates were semifinals losers to Pyramids last season and there were expectations that they would go far again.

A 3-0 loss to Saint-Eloi Lupopo in Lubumbashi, however, means the odds are against the Buccaneers even reaching the group stage that follows the second round.

☠️ FT | @fcsteloilupopo 3 - 0 @orlandopirates

⚫⚪🔴⭐#MatchDay#TotalEnergiesCAFCL #OrlandoPirates#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/C5ADnkbHRk

— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) October 19, 2025

Making a rare Champions League appearance, Lupopo were ahead inside three minutes through Wanet Kashala and Burkinabe Dramane Kambou and Jean Benoit Tukumbane scored in the second half.

While the away-goal rule has been scrapped in European club competitions, it remains in Africa.

Were Lupopo to score once in South Africa on Saturday, Pirates would have to do so five times to survive.

Another potentially serious contender to build a 3-0 advantage were Tanzanian outfit Simba away to Nsingizini Hotspurs from Eswatini.

Kibu Denis netted twice in the closing stages for the Dar es Salaam club, who were runners-up in the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup last season.

After four failed attempts, Zambian champions Power Dynamos are poised to reach the group phase a first time, and pocket a minimum $700 000.

They came from behind to beat Vipers from Uganda 2-1 in Kampala, where Derrick Ndahiro conceded an own goal on 77 minutes after Kenyan Moses Shumah had equalised.

Danish coach Jess Thorup made a winning debut in the CAF Champions League on Saturday when his Al Ahly side won 1-0 at Aigle Noir of Burundi in Bujumbura in their qualifier first leg.

An own goal decided the second-round game in east Africa as Kanyamukenge Iragi deflected a Mohamed Hany cross into his own net on 36 minutes.

Thorup replaced Spaniard Jose Riveiro, who joined the record 12-time African champions in mid-2025 from South African club Orlando Pirates.

A winning start to our CAF Champions League campaign 💪🦅 pic.twitter.com/uqT7zKKdTY

— Al Ahly SC 🇬🇧 (@AlAhlyEnglish) October 18, 2025

Riveiro was sacked after winning only one of four Egyptian Premier League matches. He also failed to take Ahly past the group stage at the Club World Cup in the United States.

Thorup previously coached in Denmark, Belgium and Germany. He was fired by Bundesliga outfit Augsburg last May.

Ahly won the Champions League in 2023 and 2024 but, for a fourth time, failed to follow up back-to-back triumphs with a record third straight title.

Perfect CAF Champions League debut 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xiohGRAw6c

— Al Ahly SC 🇬🇧 (@AlAhlyEnglish) October 18, 2025

They lost to Mamelodi Sundowns on away goals in the semi-finals last season, and both clubs will again be among the favourites.

Ahly and Sundowns received first-round qualifying byes and the South Africans face a potential tricky away fixture against Remo Stars in Nigeria on Sunday.

The other Nigerian contenders, Rivers United, suffered a setback in the final qualifying round before the 16-club group stage when losing 1-0 to Black Bulls of Mozambique in Maputo.

Moctar Diallo, a 20-year-old Senegalese, was Bulls' match-winner with a goal five minutes into the second half.

Another visiting team to lose were experienced African campaigners Young Africans of Tanzania, who fell 1-0 to Silver Strikers of Malawi in Lilongwe, where Andrew Joseph scored the 76th-minute winner.

Away victories for four-time champions Esperance of Tunisia and Angolan side Petro Luanda put them in pole position to reach the group stage.

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates head off to Lubumbashi this weekend for the first case of two South African clubs playing in the same venue on the same weekend in African club competition matches.

Chiefs are first up on Saturday in the first leg of their African Confederation Cup second round clash against AS Simba, who are newcomers to continental competition, while Pirates are in action on Sunday against St Eloi Lupopo in the Champions League.

Both games are at the TP Mazembe Stadium in the southern Congolese city.

There is a long history of clashes between clubs from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa with 57 past meetings. South African clubs have won 24 times, with 17 draws and 16 defeats, and the goal count is 70 scored and 62 conceded.

Supersport.com details all the past meetings, the first of which was more than three decades ago:

1993 Cup Winners’ Cup: Jomo Cosmos beat DC Motema Pembe on the away goals rule in the quarterfinal as South Africa competed in the Confederation of African Football club competition for the first time.

1994 Champions Cup: Mamelodi Sundowns were eliminated in the second round on the away goals rule after a 4-4 aggregate draw with AS Vita Club.

2001 Champions League: Sundowns drew 0-0 away at Mazembe and then beat them 1-0 at home in the group phase, going on to reach the final.

2002 Champions League: Pirates were knocked out in the second round 4-2 on aggregate by Mazembe.

2005 Confederation Cup: SuperSport United lost 2-0 away to St Eloi Lupopo in the first leg of their third round tie but then won 2-0 at home and went on to take the penalty shootout 3-2.

The #TotalEnergiesCAFCC Second Preliminary Round.

Here's the first leg line-up! 👇 pic.twitter.com/3036er45M4

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) October 16, 2025

2007 Confederation Cup: Sundowns were in the same group as Mazembe, beating them 3-2 at home but losing 1-3 away and failing to progress.

2009 Confederation Cup: Sundowns were knocked out by Vita 3-2 on aggregate in the second round.

2012 Confederation Cup: Black Leopards beat St Eloi Lupopo 6-4 on aggregate in the second round and got as far as the fourth round.

2013 Champions League: Pirates overcame a host of shenanigans in Lubumbashi with two penalty saves from Senzo Meyiwa to eliminate Mazembe 3-2 on aggregate and advance to the group stage.

2013 Confederation Cup: SuperSport overcame Don Bosco from Lubumbashi 4-3 on aggregate in the first round.

2014 Champions League: Kaizer Chiefs lost 3-0 in the first leg to Vita in Kinshasa and were only able to win 2-0 in the return, missing out on the group phase.

2015 Champions League: Sundowns met Mazembe for a place in the group stage and won 1-0 at home but were eliminated after a 3-1 away loss in the second leg.

2016 Champions League: Sundowns lost on the away goals to Vita after a 2-2 aggregate draw but then advanced to the group stage when it was found Vita had fielded a defaulter in the earlier round.

The Second Preliminary Round starts tomorrow!

Here's what's on the schedule for the first leg in the #TotalEnergiesCAFCL. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/sNdin2NFCE

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) October 16, 2025

2017 Super Cup: Sundowns edged Mazembe 1-0 to take the Super Cup at Loftus Versfeld with a late penalty from Brazilian defender Ricardo Nascimento.

2017 Champions League: Sundowns beat Vita 3-1 away in Kinshasa and drew 1-1 with them at home in the group stage as they advanced to the quarterfinals.

2017 Confederation Cup: SuperSport finished runners-up to Mazembe in the final 1-2 on aggregate, having drawn with them twice earlier when they were in the same group.

2020-21 Champions League: Sundowns won both home and away against Mazembe in the group competition but then got knocked out in the quarterfinal.

2020-21 Confederation Cup: Bloemfontein Celtic’s first-round debut on the continent saw them win 2-0 away but then lose at home and have to edge past Maniema Union on post-match spot kicks.

2021-22 Champions League: Sundowns had to get past Maniema in the second round to qualify for the group stage and did so 4-2 on aggregate.

2021-22 Champions League: AmaZulu, under Benni McCarthy, were making their African club competition debut and upset Mazembe on the away goals rule to reach the group stage at the first time of asking.

2021-22 Confederation Cup: Marumo Gallants had back-to-back Congolese opponents in their debut, beating Vita 3-2 on aggregate but then going out to Mazembe 0-1 on aggregate.

2022-23 Confederation Cup: Gallants beat St Eloi Lupopo twice in the group stage and went on to reach the semifinals but also got relegated from the league. Royal AM made their debut in African competition and got to the third round before Mazembe beat them both home and away.

2023-24 Champions League: Sundowns lost in Lubumbashi to Mazembe in their first group meeting but beat them in Pretoria to go through and reach the semifinals.

2023-24 Confederation Cup: Sekhukhune’s first foray into CAF competition was a 3-1 home win over St Eloi Lupopo in the first round and a 1-1 draw away in the return as they went through to the group stage.

2024-25 Champions League: Maniema got through to the group phase for the first time and handed Sundowns a shock with a 0-0 draw in Pretoria but a 2-1 win for the South Africans in Kinshasa in the return saw them go through and eventually get to the final.

2024-25 Confederation Cup: New boys Stellenbosch made it all the way to the semifinal, which included a second round triumph over Vita 3-1 on aggregate during which their coach Abdeslam Ouaddou quit.

Title-holders Pyramids of Egypt cruised into the final qualifying round of the 2025-26 CAF Champions League on Sunday after beating APR of Rwanda 3-0 in Cairo.

The dominant performance, coupled with a 2-0 first round, first leg win in Kigali last Wednesday, gave the defending champions a 5-0 aggregate victory in the premier African club competition.

It was the third consecutive season in which the clubs have met in the qualifying phase for the 16-club group competition.

Pyramids won 6-1 on aggregate in 2023 and 4-2 overall last season. Not ranked among the favourites, the Cairo outfit went on to upset Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa 3-2 over two legs in the 2024-25 final.

Mostafa Ziko put Pyramids in front against APR after 43 minutes in the Egyptian capital. Ahmed Atef and Mohamed Hamdy then scored within two minutes midway through the second half.

Pyramids are due to play Insurance in Ethiopia between October 17-19, but a new date will have to be found as they meet Renaissance Berkane of Morocco that weekend for the CAF Super Cup.

The home win over APR was the fourth in a row in international competitions for Pyramids under 55-year-old Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurcic.

Before overcoming APR, Pyramids beat Auckland City of New Zealand and Al Ahly of Saudi Arabia to secure a Fifa Challenger Cup play-off against Cruz Azul of Mexico or the South American champions.

Qatar will host the play-off on December 13 and the winners face Uefa Champions League title-holders Paris Saint-Germain four days later in the Intercontinental Cup final.

In another CAF Champions League second leg, Saint-Eloi Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo forced a 0-0 draw away to Al Merrikh of Sudan to advance 1-0 on aggregate.

Lupopo will face Orlando Pirates of South Africa in the final qualifying round.

Both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will be heading to Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo in their African club competition second-round tie after the belated completion of first-round fixtures on Saturday.

In what will be a first for both in their long history, they will be heading outside of the country for the first time together, and to the same destination, on the same weekend, playing their first leg ties away at the TP Mazembe Stadium.

In the African Champions League, Pirates will be taking on St Eloi Lupopo after they produced a shock and held the Sudanese Al Merrikh to a goalless draw in the second leg of their first-round scrimmage.

Lupopo had won the first leg in Lubumbashi last weekend and in Saturday’s second leg, played in Libya because of the civil war in Sudan, held out for a narrow aggregate triumph.

Lupopo are the second club in the southern city of Lubumbashi, in the shadow of richer neighbours TP Mazembe.

Chiefs will take on AS Simba in the second round of the Confederation Cup after the Congolese outfit completed a 3-0 aggregate triumph over Djabal of Comoros.

Both legs were played in Lubumbashi because the Comorian club did not have a suitable home ground.

The first leg last weekend was Simba’s home match and they won 1-0 and Djabal ‘hosted’ the second leg on Saturday where Ilunga Nsungu scored a double – with goals either side of halftime – to hand Simba progress.

Simba hail from Kolwezi, some 300km from Lubumbashi, and are competing in continental competition for the first time. Their stadium cannot be used for African club competition matches, so they are playing in Lubumbashi.

They qualified for the Confederation Cup with a 1-0 win over FC MK Etanchéité of Kinshasa in last season’s Coupe du Congo final.

Chiefs will likely play on Sunday, October 19, with Pirates playing on Saturday, October 18.

The return legs are on the weekend of October 24-26.

 

Both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will belatedly find out the identity of their next opponents on Saturday.

There is a chance both will take on opposition from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of their respective competitions.

An impasse over the identity of the Congolese representatives in this season’s continental competitions delayed the ties involving their teams, which has meant the two Soweto giants have had to wait to see who they next play.

Pirates, who easily overcame Lioli from Lesotho 7-0 on aggregate in the Champions League first round, take on either St Eloi Lupopo from Lubumbashi or the Sudanese club Al Merrikh.

The first leg of their tie was played last weekend in Lubumbashi and saw the host score a narrow 1-0 home win with a late goal from Jonathan Mokonzi.

The return leg is at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Benghazi, Libya, on Saturday. Al Merrikh are forced to play their home matches in neutral venues because of the civil conflict in Sudan.

Chiefs, who had a narrow penalty shootout victory over Kabuscorp of Angola in their Confederation Cup first round tie, take on either AS Simba from Kolwezi or Djabal from the Comoros.

Djabal also do not have a suitable home venue in the Comoros, so have elected to play both the home and away leg in the Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi. Lubumabshi.

Last Sunday was Simba’s home leg, and they only won 1-0, giving Djabal hopes of an upset comeback. Simba’s own home ground in Kolwezi was not passed for use in international fixtures, so they are forced to play some 300km from their home.

Star striker Fiston Mayele scored twice as Pyramids of Egypt began their Caf Champions League title defence with a 2-0 away victory over APR of Rwanda in Kigali on Wednesday.

Congolese Mayele struck after 50 and 86 minutes of the first round first leg qualifier at a stadium named after deceased Brazilian superstar Pele.

Careless passing by the home team led to both goals, and the result virtually assures Pyramids of progress to the second and final qualifying round. The return match is in Cairo on Sunday.

Mayele, the leading scorer in the premier African club competition last season with nine goals, displayed clinical finishing to punish the APR errors.

The 31-year-old held off the challenges of three opponents to open the scoring with a shot that flew into the net at the near post.

 

ماييلي يختار الشناوي رجلًا للمباراة 🎖️🔝#Pyramids | #ملوك_الكرة | #APRPYR pic.twitter.com/HMvaGAEamL

— Pyramids FC (@pyramidsfc) October 1, 2025

 

Abdelrahman Magdy set up the first goal and was also the architect of the second, sending Mayele through to score with a low shot into the far corner.

This is the third consecutive season that the clubs have met in a Champions League qualifier, with Pyramids winning 6-1 on aggregate in 2023 and 4-2 last year.

Insurance of Ethiopia await APR or Pyramids in the second round. The first leg is scheduled for 17-19 October, with the return match the following weekend.

The race for African club football’s most prestigious crown has officially kicked off following the draw for the Preliminary and Second Preliminary Rounds of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2025/26, held at Azam Media Studios in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Saturday.

A record 62 clubs from across the continent will feature in this season’s campaign, underscoring the competition’s growing appeal.

Record title winners Al Ahly of Egypt and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, both top-ranked sides, have been handed byes into the Second Preliminary Round where defending champions Pyramids FC of Egypt will face Rwanda’s APR.

The draw also delivered several tantalising fixtures in the early stages.

Almost time for the #TotalEnergiesCAFCC second preliminary round qualifiers, be ready! pic.twitter.com/5wygilXcO0

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) September 30, 2025

North African powerhouses could collide early as Sierra Leone’s East End Lions will face Tunisia’s US Monastirienne, with the winners earning a shot at the winners of the clash between Ghana’s Bibiani Gold Stars and Algerian giants JS Kabylie.

Liberia’s FC Fassell will look to overcome Senegal’s ASC Jaraaf for a potential meeting with Algeria’s MC Alger, while Benin’s Dadjè FC and Libya’s representative, Libya 1, clash for the chance to face Togo’s ASCK or Morocco’s RS Berkane.

Elsewhere, Nigeria’s Remo Stars meet Comoros’ US Zilimadjou for the right to play Sundowns, while Zimbabwe’s Simba Bhora tackle Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs in a tie that leads to a showdown with Botswana’s Gaborone United — and ultimately Tanzania’s Simba SC in the next round.

Zambia’s Power Dynamos begin against Ivorian heavyweights ASEC Mimosas with the winner of the match between Namibia’s African Stars and Vipers FC of Uganda waiting in the wings.

Rahimo FC of Burkina Faso will face Gabon’s AS Mangasport with the winners taking on the victor in Niger’s Forces Armées meeting Tunisian giants Espérance Sportive de Tunis (EST).

Has your team made it past the #TotalEnergiesCAFCL first preliminary round qualifiers?

Join us for round two! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/QZk7Nxj5gK

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) September 30, 2025

Teams that exit in the first two rounds will this season receive USD 100 000 to cover their logistical costs as CAF seeks to encourage more clubs to take part, which is reflected in the record number of teams registered for the 2025/26 season.

The Preliminary Round kicks off with first-leg matches between 19–21 September 2025 and second-leg matches between 26–28 September 2025. The Second Preliminary Round follows from 17–19 October (first leg) and 24–26 October (second leg).

The Group Stage begins on 21 November 2025, with the knockout phase set to start on 13 March 2026.

Ivory Coast club ASEC Mimosas became the first high-profile casualties of 2025-26 CAF Champions League qualifying on Sunday after losing a penalty shootout against Zambian visitors Power Dynamos.

Souleymane Fofana scored after 52 minutes to give former African champions ASEC a 1-0 win in the first round second leg in the Ivorian commercial capital Abidjan despite having Seydou Sacko sent off.

The narrow victory levelled the aggregate score at 1-1 after Power Dynamos had won the first leg last weekend through a solitary goal from Innocent Kashita.

While the Zambians converted five consecutive penalties in the shootout, Benin international midfielder Romaric Amoussou missed the fifth ASEC spot-kick and his club were eliminated.

The other Ivorian challengers, Stade Abidjan, did secure a place in the final qualifying round during October thanks to a 5-1 aggregate victory over Cote d'Or of the Seychelles.

Power Dynamos, who have never reached the group stage of the premier African club competition, will face Vipers of Uganda in the second round.

Vipers, who also have never made it to the 16-club group phase, won 1-0 both at home and away against African Stars of Namibia with Junior Sentamu the second-leg match-winner in Uganda.

While ASEC fell, the other six former champions in action, including Stade Abidjan, comfortably survived the first hurdle.

Orlando Pirates of South Africa and JS Kabylie of Algeria had the widest winning margins, scoring seven goals each without reply over two legs against Lioli of Lesotho and Bibiani Gold Stars of Ghana, respectively.

NIGERIAN VICTORIES

Esperance of Tunisia were 7-1 overall victors against AS FAN of Niger, while there were three-goal winning margins for FAR Rabat of Morocco over Real Banjul of Gambia and Mouloudia Alger of Algeria against Fassell of Liberia.

Surprise 2024-25 champions Pyramids of Egypt will only start their title defence on Wednesday against APR in Rwanda due to Fifa Africa-Asia-Pacific Cup commitments.

Record 12-time Champions League winners Al Ahly of Egypt and 2016 title-holders Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa had first round byes.

The nine former champions have avoided each other in the final qualifying round line-up, creating the possibility that they could all be involved in the group phase from November 21.

Only one club from African football powerhouse Nigeria has won the competition, with Enyimba achieving back-to-back successes in 2003 and 2004.

Nigerian challengers Remo Stars and Rivers United both made it the final qualifying round this season after contrasting victories.

Stars followed up a four-goal first-leg win over Zilimadjou of the Comoros by winning the return match 1-0 through an Alex Oyowah goal after 74 minutes.

After a goalless first leg against Aigles in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rivers won 1-0 at home and on aggregate thanks to Stephen Manyo, who netted six minutes into first-half added time.

Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are back in continental club competition action on Saturday, seeing to take a step closer to reaching the group phase of their respective competitions.

Pirates should have little concern as they host Lioli from neighbouring Lesotho at the Orlando Stadium, already 3-0 up from the first leg, but for Chiefs there will be plenty of nerves as they look to fight their way back from their 1-0 loss to Kabuscorp in Angola last weekend.

With the away goals rule still in effect in Confederation of African Football competition, Chiefs cannot afford to concede either, otherwise they will make their task even harder.

The arrival of Khanyisa Mayo on loan from Algeria suggests they could be sharper upfront, and he scored on debut in the Betway Premiership against Marumo Gallants in midweek, but Chiefs conceded after that and were held to a home draw.

Their bright start to the league season has quickly faded and the departure of coach Nasreddine Nabi, who never looked up to the gravity of the task even if he did end the club’s long trophy drought, has exposed turmoil in rhe camp.

Kabuscorp are not one of their country’s top clubs, and are competing in continental competition for only a second time, but teams from Angola are never easy to beat.

It will be the 35th meeting between clubs from Angola and South Africa in African club competition with South African teams holding a narrow winning record of 14 victories to 12 with eight draws.

Pirates struggled initially in last Saturday’s first leg against Lioli, who had to take to their ‘home’ tie to the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein because of the absence of any suitable facilities in the mountain kingdom.

It took until eight minutes into the second half for Pirates to break the deadlock through Tshegofatso Mabasa, who then quickly scored another before Oswin Appollis added a third in the last minute of the three added on for stoppage time.

The comfortable lead offers the opportunity for Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou to field some of his fringe players in the second leg and rest the regulars.

The Buccaneers are expected to glide through comfortably to the second round but will have to wait to find out the identity of their opponents.

They take on either St Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo or Al Merrikh from Sudan but because the identity of the Congolese representatives was decided late, that tie was postponed. Ther first leg is now being played in Lubumbashi on Saturday with the return in Benghazi, Libya one week later on October 4.

The 2025/26 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League began this week with clubs across the continent taking their first steps in the Preliminary Round. From commanding away victories to tightly fought encounters, the opening leg produced drama and set the stage for decisive return fixtures next weekend

CAFOnline takes a look at some of the outcomes of the first legs of the Preliminary Stage.

Côte d’Or 0–2 Stade d’Abidjan

In Seychelles, Stade d’Abidjan laid down a marker with a clinical 2–0 away victory over Côte d’Or. The Ivorian side’s composed performance leaves them well-placed ahead of the second leg at home.

Dadjè FC 0–0 Al Ahly Tripoli

Benin’s Dadjè FC held Libyan giants Al Ahly Tripoli to a goalless draw in a match where chances were scarce. With nothing separating the two, the tie is finely balanced going into the return leg in Tripoli.

Wiliete SC 0–3 Young Africans

Tanzanian champions Young Africans showed their pedigree on Angolan soil, dispatching Wiliete SC 3–0. Goals from Aziz Andabwile, Edmund Godfrey, and Prince Dube underlined their attacking strength, giving the Tanzanian giants a commanding lead before hosting the return fixture in Dar es Salaam next weekend.

Ethiopian Insurance 2–0 Mlandege FC

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Insurance made home advantage count with a 2–0 win over Zanzibar’s Mlandege. The Ethiopians will travel with confidence as they look to finish the job next weekend.

Mogadishu City Club 1–3 Police FC

Visitors Police FC earned a crucial 3–1 away victory against Mogadishu City, putting themselves in pole position to reach the next round. The Somali side now faces an uphill battle to overturn the deficit.

Power Dynamos 1–0 ASEC Mimosas

In one of the week’s headline fixtures, Zambian side Power Dynamos edged ASEC Mimosas 1–0 in Ndola. Innocent Kashita struck early, and the hosts held firm against the Ivorian giants to claim a narrow but valuable first-leg advantage.

Cercle de Joachim 0–3 Petro de Luanda

Angola’s Petro de Luanda demonstrated their experience on the continental stage with a 3–0 away win over Cercle de Joachim in Mauritius. The result leaves them with one foot in the Second Preliminary Round.

Ethiopian Medhin 2–0 Mlandege FC

Also in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Medhin secured a vital home victory with a 2–0 win over Mlandege FC. The Ethiopian side capitalised on their dominance, striking twice to put themselves in a strong position ahead of the return leg. The visitors from Zanzibar will now need to produce a big response on home soil to keep their continental hopes alive.

Lioli FC 0–3 Orlando Pirates

Elsewhere, South Africa’s Orlando Pirates showed their pedigree with a commanding 3–0 away triumph against Lioli FC of Lesotho. A brace from Tshegofatso Mabasa and a late strike by Oswin Appolis ensured the former African champions head back to Johannesburg with one foot firmly in the next round.

Second Preliminary Round

The return legs are scheduled for 26–28 September 2025, where aggregate winners will advance to the Second Preliminary Round. With a place in the group stages ultimately at stake, clubs will be looking to either protect their leads or mount spirited comebacks in front of their home fans.

© CAF

Soweto giants Kazier Chiefs and Orlando Pirates both compete in continental competition ties this weekend, beginning their respective bids for a berth in the group stages of Africa’s two club competitions.

Pirates compete in the African Champions League for a third successive season, having failed to get into the group stage in 2023-24 but last season going all the way to the semifinals.

Chiefs have qualified for the Confederation Cup, returning to African competition after a four-season absence since the 2020-21 season when they were surprise Champions League runners-up.

Pirates have drawn Basotho club Lioli in the first round and play the first leg of their first round tie in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Lesotho do not have any stadia which meet the Confederation of African Football’s standards for international competition, so Lioli are hosting Pirates at the Free State Stadium, just as their national team did against South Africa earlier this month.

The clash is on Saturday with a 3pm kick off and the return leg will be at the Orlando Stadium exactly one week later.

Not unexpectedly, South African clubs have a one-sided record against Basotho opposition in African club competition, stretching back over 30 years.

In 20 past matches, there have been 15 wins for South African sides, three draws and two successes for Lesotho teams, both on home soil.

No South African outfit has ever been eliminated on aggregate by a Basotho club, with all 10 previous match-ups coming in the two-legged knockout stages.

Pirates have had four previous outings against Basotho clubs, starting with Roma Rovers in 1997 when they won by a single goal on aggregate and went on to participate in the first ever Champions League group phase.

In 2004 they had a much more convincing 7-0 aggregate triumph over Matlama.

Chiefs are heading to Angola to take on Kabuscorp in their Confederation Cup first round, first leg tie.

That clash on Saturday is at Luanda’s Estadio Novembro 11 with the return leg at Soccer City on 27 September.

Pirates’ second round opponent, should they avoid any upset against Lioli, will be either St Eloi Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo or Al Merrikh of Sudan.

If Chiefs go through to the second round they take on either Djabal of the Comoros Islands or Simba from Kolwezi, who were surprise cup winners in DR Congo last season.

After two rounds of preliminaries, the 16 teams from the group phase of both competitions will be known with matches scheduled to kick off in November.

Spanish coach Jose Riveiro has laid down the law to the stars of African giants Al Ahly of Egypt as they prepare for another CAF Champions League campaign.

Cairo-based Ahly have won the elite African club competition a record 12 times – seven times more than closest rivals Zamalek of Egypt and TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

But last season they fell in the semifinals to Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, losing the tie on away goals after Yasser Ibrahim conceded an own goal in the final minute of regular time.

Defeat was particularly painful for the Cairo Red Devils as it was the fourth time they had won back-to-back titles only to fail to create history by lifting the trophy three consecutive times.

After three seasons and five trophies with Orlando Pirates in South Africa, Riveiro moved to Ahly last May and has yet to celebrate a victory.

Ahly drew with Inter Miami and Porto, who they led four times, at the Club World Cup in the United States and lost to Brazilian outfit Palmeiras.

If the 49-year-old Spaniard believed the Egypt Premier League kick-off last weekend would bring a chance of fortunes, he was mistaken.

Away to Modern Future, who finished 14th last season, Ahly had to come from behind to secure a 2-2 draw thanks to a Yassin Marei goal.

"There is no place for names, and no room for favouritism," said a visibly angry Riveiro after that match.

"Whoever proves himself in training and in matches will get chances – whoever disobeys instructions will have no role in the team."

NO FUTURE

Queried by reporters about his line-up, Riveiro said: "I am the coach and I decide who participates and who does not".

Riveiro stressed to his squad the need for full commitment to his tactics, warning those who failed to follow them would have no future at Ahly.

He echoed the comments of the last two Ahly coaches, South African Pitso Mosimane and Swiss Marcel Koller, that Ahly want to win every competition they are involved in.

But Riveiro knows winning the Champions League is of paramount importance for several reasons, including qualification for the 2029 Club World Cup.

 

The #TotalEnergiesCAFCL 2025/26 preliminary rounds draw is here! ✅

Which game are you excited for the most? 👀 pic.twitter.com/D49BWewXJu

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) August 10, 2025

 

They have a first round bye in qualifying and will tackle the winners between Aigle Noir of Burundi and ASAS of Djibouti for a place in the group phase.

The Club World Cup this year gave Ahly and the other three African representatives, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, Esperance of Tunisia and Wydad Casblanca of Morocco, unrivalled riches.

Each club received $9.5 million for qualifying plus an additional $2 million for a win and $1 million for a draw. Sundowns did best, taking home $12.5 million.

Wydad will not be involved in the coming Champions League as they finished third in the Moroccan league, leaving champions Renaissance Berkane and runners-up FAR Rabat to represent the kingdom.

FAR and the other seven quarterfinalists last season, including eventual champions Pyramids of Egypt will be back, and the field includes 10 former champions and six winners of other CAF competitions.

Pyramids will face Rwandan army outfit APR for the third straight season in qualifying and will be expected to complete a hat-trick of aggregate victories.

Should the defending champions advance, they will face Insurance of Ethiopia or Mlandege of Zanzibar for a group place.

Mamelodi Sundowns and Stellenbosch were handed byes into the second round of the this new season’s African Champions League and African Confederation Cup respectively, but South Africa’s other representatives in continental club competition must play in next month’s first round.

Orlando Pirates, who were Champions League semifinalists last season, were drawn on Saturday in the first round against Lioli from Lesotho while Chiefs, who compete in the Confederation Cup after winning last season’s Nedbank cup, have a tough assignment against Kabuscorp from Angola.

The draw was conducted in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

Pirates will be away in the first leg on the weekend of 17-19 September but with all the stadia in Lesotho declared not up to the required standard by the Confederation of African Football, they can expect to play the game in South Africa, likely in Bloemfontein.

The return leg at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto will be on the weekend of 26-28 September.

#𝐂𝐀𝐅𝐂𝐋 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭

Orlando Pirates 🇿🇦 v Lioli FC 🇱🇸
📅 Match Details: TBC

⚫⚪🔴⭐#OrlandoPirates #OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/cxop84L4Qm

— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) August 9, 2025

If Pirates advance as expected, their second-round opponent will be either El Merrikh of Sudan or a club from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who have a dispute over the completion of their league season and are still waiting to settle on who their representatives in the 2025-26 African club competitions will be.

The second round ties are to be played the weekend of 17-19 October with the return legs a week later from 24-26 October.

Chiefs travel to Angola for their first leg of their first round tie and if they advance will take on Djabal or a club from DR Congo, still to be determined, in the second round.

CAF Confederation Cup

Kaizer Chiefs were amongst the seeded teams in the draw for the 1st preliminary round of the 2025/26 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup, and will start their campaign with a trip to Luanda, Angola, to face Kabuscorp Sport Clube do Palanca#Amakhosi4Life pic.twitter.com/RLPrhgI5Hw

— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) August 9, 2025

The 16 winners of second round matches move onto the group stage, which kicks off on 21 November.

Sundowns, who lost to Pyramids of Egypt in last season’s Champions League final will take on the winner of the first round tie between Nigeria’s Remo Stars or US Zilimanjou from the Comoros Islands.

Stellenbosch, who reached last season’s Confederation Cup semifinal, have to await the winner of the first round clash between Foresters FC from Seychelles and Atlético 15 from Equatorial Guinea.

CAF said there were a record-breaking 120 entries for both competitions for the 2025-26 editions.

A total of 62 teams will compete in the Champions League, while 58 will take part in the Confederation Cup – the largest combined entry ever seen in CAF’s interclub competitions.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe has announced a significant improvement in the financial support from US$50 000 to US$100 000 (around R1.8-million) to each club participating.

Renaissance Berkane coach Mouin Chaabani believes the Moroccan club could go one better than CAF Champions League title-holders Pyramids and win the competition at the first attempt.

Cairo outfit Pyramids won the premier African club competition last Sunday in only their second appearance by beating South African rivals Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 on aggregate.

Berkane last month became Moroccan champions for the first time, finishing 13 points ahead of runners-up FAR Rabat.

Called the Orange Boys as they are based in the citrus-growing northeast of Morocco, Renaissance will debut in the Champions League this year.

It is a milestone for a club formed in 1938 and overshadowed for decades by Casablanca giants Raja and Wydad, both three-time African champions.

Berkane finally conquered Morocco by winning 21 of 30 matches, drawing seven, losing just two, scoring 49 goals and conceding only 14 in a championship ranked the second toughest in Africa.

While Berkane are Champions League debutants, they are no strangers to Africa having competed in the past eight editions of the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup, winning three finals.

They were also runners-up twice to Egyptian opponents Zamalek, losing one title decider after a penalty shootout and another on away goals.

Chaabani, a 43-year-old Tunisian, acknowledges that competing in the Champions League will be more challenging than the Confederation Cup.

"The Champions League is a tougher competition, with high-level opponents," the coach who won back-to-back titles in the most prized African club competition with Tunis outfit Esperance told reporters.

"Thanks to repeated appearances in the Confederation Cup, I think Berkane have acquired continental experience. We have an ambitious squad capable of competing at the highest level.

'GREAT RESPECT'

"We will approach the Champions League campaign with great respect for opponents, but also with a desire to go far. Why not aim for the title?

"Our supporters can play a key role. Their unwavering backing, at home and away, has carried us through difficult times as well as joyful moments."

The Municipal Stadium in Berkane accommodates just 15 000 spectators, and their closeness to the pitch creates what many visiting coaches have called "an intimidating atmosphere".

Berkane won 43 of 49 home Confederation Cup matches since debuting in 2015, drew the other six, scored 113 goals and conceded only 18.

En route to the latest Confederation Cup triumph, they excelled at home, firing five goals past Dadje of Benin and Stellenbosch of South Africa and four past CS Constantine of Algeria in the semifinals.

The Champions League is becoming increasingly competitive and unpredictable with the success of Pyramids not foreseen when the competition kicked off last August.

The Cairo club boast a prolific scorer in Congolese Fiston Mayele, whose nine goals won him the Champions League Golden Boot.

Pyramids, fellow Egyptian challengers and record 12-time African champions Al Ahly, Sundowns and Esperance of Tunisia will hope to claim the $4 million (€3.5 million) first prize.

Mouloudia Alger of Algeria, who are poised to qualify, and FAR were quarterfinalists last season and capable of going further this time.

Apart from the regular campaigners, there will be newcomers like Wiliete of Angola, Colombe of Cameroon and possibly Police, who need one point from two matches to become Kenyan champions.

Originally due to kick off in August, the Champions League will be delayed as the African Nations Championship (Chan) has been rescheduled for that month.

Congolese prolific scorer Fiston Mayele, Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurcic and Emirati businessman Salem al Shamsi played key roles as Pyramids became the fourth Egyptian club to be crowned African champions.

Competing in the premier African club competition for only the second time, Pyramids beat South African rivals Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 on Sunday in Cairo and 3-2 on aggregate in the CAF Champions League final.

Pyramids join an elite group of Egyptian Clubs that have won the #TotalEnergiesCAFCL 🔥#SSDiski pic.twitter.com/6DZtBvtIpH

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 2, 2025

Mayele, 30, scored nine of the 37 Pyramids goals in 16 matches en route to glory and repaid the transfer fee when he moved to Egypt from Tanzanian club Young Africans in mid 2023.

His goal haul was the best in the Champions League this season, with seven-goal Youcef Belaili from Tunisian outfit Esperance the Golden Boot runners-up.

Born in the central Democratic Republic of Congo city of Mbuji-Mayi, Mayele began his professional career in 2019. He played for V Club in Kinshasa and Young Africans before moving to Egypt.

Often seemingly invisible in a match, his predatory instincts put in the right place at the right time often allows him to deliver his clinical finishing.

He excels at the 30 June Stadium home of Pyramids in Cairo, scoring twice against FAR Rabat in the quarterfinals and twice again against Orlando Pirates of South Africa in the semifinals.

Mayele then delivered the first blow against Sundowns in the second leg of the final, originating a sweeping move and finishing it by drilling a loose ball into the far corner of the net.

Former Croatia midfielder Jurcic has the best winning rate of the many mainly foreign coaches Pyramids have deployed since the club changed their name from Al Assiouty in 2018 and moved to Cairo.

Largely unknown in Africa until the knockout phase of the Champions League, the 55-year-old constantly moves up and down the sideline, frantically shouting instructions.

POSITIVE ENERGY

"I believe I can transmit my energy in a positive way," said the coach whose previous highest profile position was a one-year stint from 2017 as Saudi Arabia coach.

Many of the 19 Champions League triumphs by Egyptian clubs Al Ahly, Zamalek, Ismaily and Pyramids were born out of blanket defending and clinical counterattacks.

Jurcic does not fit that mould, though. He surprised Pirates in Johannesburg and Sundowns in Pretoria by adopting offensive tactics. He wants to outscore opponents rather than erect defensive barriers.

While Mayele and six-goal Ibrahim Adel were the chief contributors to the 37 Champions League goals, a remarkable total of 19 players scored at least once in the African campaign.

In recent years Pyramids have replaced Zamalek as the major rivals of Egyptian and African giants Ahly, and the financial backing of Al Shamsi has been crucial.

Pyramids can compete for Egyptian and foreign stars with the two clubs who have dominated the domestic scene for decades.

Apart from Mayele, defender Mohamed Chibi and midfielder Walid el Karti from Morocco and Burkina Faso midfielder Blati Toure started in both legs of the final.

When the final whistle blew on a warm, windy night in Cairo and Pyramids began celebrating victory over Sundowns, no one was happier than Pyramids captain and veteran goalkeeper Ahmed el Shenawy.

He was one of four players in the Pyramids squad who had been part of the Zamalek team convincingly beaten by Sundowns in the 2016 Champions League title decider.

Pyramids will have little time to celebrate conquering Africa though as they face Zamalek on Thursday in the Egyptian FA Cup final.

Then, on a date to be announced, they will tackle Renaissance Berkane of Morocco, winners of the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup, in a CAF Super Cup match worth $500 000 to the winners.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso felt his side did not play at the level needed to secure the Champions League in Cairo on Sunday and that Egyptian winners Pyramids fought for their lives in taking the two-legged tie 3-2 on aggregate.

This is what Cardoso told SuperSport.com after the game

“The fact that we are not happy, or that I’m not happy, doesn't mean that I'm not proud of everything we did to get to this final. But at the same time, I think that there was something missing for us to be at the level that we needed to be, in order to win.

"It's not a question of who was best or who was worse, because when there's a winner, it means that they were better.

"What I feel is that in some moments, we didn't find a way to compete at the level that we should have competed at, in order to win the trophy. Anyway, it's not many people that play Champions League finals and that have the right to win a medal.

"I just would like to remind you that on the way to the final, we beat Al Ahly, who are still the first on the CAF rankings, and we beat them in the semifinal. And when we played Esperance from Tunisia, and beat them, they were second in the rankings of CAF. 

"When I arrived, the club was struggling to try to get through the group stage of the Champions League. We had immediately a very tough game against Russ Casablanca but in a very tough group, we were able to proceed past the group stage.

"What I mean is that throughout the tournament, our players were able to show a great commitment, a great attitude, and also quality, and guiding them to the final obviously makes me, as I said, very proud.

"The feeling when you play a final and you don't win is obviously very bitter, very disappointing. But as I said before the match, the sensation that pervades for me is that I have a wonderful group of men in my locker room, that obviously at this moment are suffering.

"But they will get up as the true champions that they are, human beings that are champions on a daily basis in their lives.

"Their commitment to what they do will see us proceed our way. We have still a lot to do, and at this moment, what is important is that we go back and set new objectives, and that we look to repeat the opportunity of playing again in a Champions League final and be even better than before.

WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING WAS MISSING, CAN YOU PUT YOUR FINGER ON WHAT IT WAS?

“Well, you know, I always speak about how important it is to compete at the highest level. It's exactly the answer that I gave to questions asked by the journalists in South Africa.

"They asked, ‘why is it so difficult to play against teams from the north of Africa?’ Because those teams compete. They play well, of course, they also play football, but they compete at a high level.

"Every duel is a life changer, every ball they fight for, they fight with all the energy they have. Ending some moments, I felt that there was something missing on our part, but I don't think that we played worse than Pyramides. I think that was shown in both matches.

"But Pyramides were very competent, very capable of keeping us from playing the way we wanted. But most of all, they gave their lives in every ball they were challenging for. 

"And then at this level, sometimes that makes the difference. And I think that was what made a lot of difference in this final. That's what is in my mind at the moment. It's not a matter of accepting that we lost, but it's a matter of accepting that we didn't play the game I think that we should have in key parts of the game.

"We didn't play at the level that we should have played. And we needed to get up and play in a different way, to be able to fight.

"And when we did, when we got up and we looked them in the eyes and we didn't worry about what was on the other side, how they were playing, we just worried about what we had to do. We could even have won, because in the second half … in the last 20-25 minutes, we came close to the goal that would have given us a victory.

"But I have to be honest with myself and with my players and I think that the feeling I have about not being at the right level, they also have.

 And it's human, it's normal. It's a learning because despite the fact we have a lot of international players, playing finals is another thing. Let's focus now on what we can do in the future and pick up the energy for the Club World Cup.”

WERE PYRAMIDS BETTER TACTICALLY?

“We saw a period in this game where they played like they played in the first game, with a high line, 4-4-2, and a physical approach. Even without having the ball, they were all capable of fighting for it.

"And even if they would lose possession quickly, they were able again to fight for it, and not to let us install our positional game and our passing game. Then it's the physicality journey. I don't think Pyramids was anything on the pitch that we didn’t anticipate.

"I said before the match that despite that, we understood clearly how they play, that doesn’t make it easy to play against them. And we should respect that, because to win trophies at this level, you need to compete at the highest level, and this Pyramids team is for sure competing throughout the season at the highest level. They are a good team, but we could have beaten them.

"But to beat these Pyramids, we should have played at the highest level of performance that we could. And I think in some moments, we were not able. But that is also credit to Pyramids. They also didn't allow us to play the way we wanted.

"And it's important to recognise that. I'm a sportsman, I need to understand that. But I think we have played better football than them. But they competed better than us. That is what made the difference this time.”

 

Mamelodi Sundowns were denied a second CAF Champions League title after they succumbed 2-1 (3-2 on aggregate) to Pyramids FC in the second leg of the final, played at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Sunday evening.

The Egyptian hosts established a 2-0 lead on the night via goals from Fiston Mayele and Ahmed Samy, but Iqraam Rayners’s strike with just over a quarter hour of regulation time to play made for a tense and dramatic ending to the second leg of the final.

The Brazilians needed just one more to level the scores at 3-3 on aggregate and take the title on the away goals rule, but Pyramids ultimately hung on to claim their first Champions League crown.

𝐏𝐘𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 🏆🌟

The Egyptians are #TotalEnergiesCAFCL Champions 🔵#SSFootball pic.twitter.com/dpGHJ9af8F

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 1, 2025

The teams cancelled each other out in a cagey first 20 minutes, but Pyramids soon capitalised on a mistake in defence from Sundowns to claim the lead midway through the first half.

Grant Kekana had a poor touch from a right wing cross, with the ball falling perfectly for Fiston Mayele – the Congolese striker hit a first-time shot which flashed beyond the reach of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to put the hosts in control.

Sundowns pushed and probed without any success in attack through the remainder of the first half, though they should have levelled the game deep in injury time before the break, as Lucas Ribeiro played Tashreeq Matthews in on goal, but the Brazilians forward was denied by a crucial save from Pyramids goalkeeper Ahmed Al Shenawy.

Sundowns made a change at the start of the second half, swapping out Aubrey Modiba for Divine Lunga, but Pyramids made the next major impact on the match, doubling their lead in the 56th minute.

Mohamed Chibi played in a cross from a free kick on the right flank to pick out an unmarked Ahmed Samy, who scored from close range with an emphatic close-range diving header.

Sundowns responded with a triple change on 64 minutes, bringing on Thapelo Morena, Arthur Sales and Peter Shalulile to switch to a far more attacking formation.

In the 68th minute Teboho Mokoena almost pulled a goal back with a fine strike direct from a free kick, but Shenawy made another fine save to keep his side in charge of the tie.

The South African side pulled a goal back in the 76th minute when Iqraam Rayners latched onto a poor headed clearance and scored via a deflected shot, though they had to endure a VAR check as Shalulile appeared to be offside in the build-up, but was seemingly deemed not to be involved in the attacking move that resulted in the goal.

Shalulile had a wonderful chance to make it 2-2 in the dying minutes of regulation time, latching into a great assist from Ribeiro, but Al Shenawy made another excellent close range save – and the offside flag would have correctly ruled out the goal had the Namibian squeezed the ball home.

Sundowns kept up the pressure even through 10 minutes of injury time, but were unable to force a decisive equalising goal, leaving Pyramids to engage in wild celebrations upon the sound of the final whistle.

Pyramids have become the fourth Egyptian team to win the Champions League, joining compatriot clubs Al Ahly (12 titles), Zamalek (5) and Ismaily (1). They are also the first maiden winners of the competition since Sundowns in 2016.

Pyramids FC (1) 2 (Mayele 24’, Samy 56’)

Mamelodi Sundowns (0) 1 (Rayners 75’)

Pyramids won 3-2 on aggregate

Pyramids: Shenawy, Chibi (Tawfik 88’), Marei, Samy, Hamdi, Lasheen, Toure (Gabr 90+2’), Atef, El Karti, Sobhi (Adel 78’), Mayele

Sundowns: Williams, Mudau, Kekana, Lebusa (Morena 64’), Modiba (Lunga 46’), Allende, Mokoena, Adams (Sales 64’), Matthews (Shalulile 64’), Ribeiro, Rayners (Mothiba 78’).

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TITLE WINNERS:

- 12: Al Ahly (EGY)
- 5: TP Mazembe (COD), Zamalek (EGY)
- 4: Esperance (TUN)
- 3: Raja Casablanca, Wydad Casablanca (both MAR), Canon Yaounde (CMR), Hafia (GUI)
- 2: Entente Setif, JS Kabylie (both ALG), Asante Kotoko (GHA), Enyimba (NGR)
- 1: ASEC Mimosas, Stade Abidjan (both CIV), Club Africain, Etoile Sahel (both TUN), Ismaily, Pyramids (both EGY), Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates (both RSA), Oryx Douala, Union Douala (both CMR), CARA (CGO), FAR Rabat (MAR), Hearts of Oak (GHA),  Mouloudia Alger (ALG), V Club (COD).

Coud be it be lucky 13 for Mamelodi Sundowns as they play in Egypt yet again, this time in Sunday’s second leg of the African Champions League final?

The South African team will hoping to keep up their recent form in the north African country to be crowned continental champions.

Sundowns were held to a 1-1 home draw by Pyramids in Saturday’s first leg at Loftus Versfeld and will have to score in Sunday’s return (kick off 7pm, live on SuperSport) if they are to stand any chance of a second Champions League triumph.

Here is a look at the 12 previous matches that Sundowns have played on Egyptian soil:

Al Ahly 3 Sundowns 0 (December 21, 2001):

An extraordinary game in the second leg of the Champions League final after a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Loftus Versfeld. Sundowns dominated possession at the Cairo International Stadium and were by far the more attacking outfit but got picked off by the brilliance of home striker Khaled Bebo’s.

Sundowns conceded a penalty in the 37th minute, and Bebo added one more on the stroke of halftime and then a third in stoppage time at the end of the game.

 Sundowns were given warm applause by the Ahly fans when the picked up their runners-up medals.

Al Ahly 2 Sundowns 0 (April 21, 2007):

Sundowns had the misfortune of drawing Al Ahly in the round before the knockout stage and did well, after going 0-2 down inside the first 55 minutes, to draw the first leg at Loftus Versfeld 2-2.

But in a two-legged tie that is a recipe for disaster, and it came as no surprise that Ahly won the second leg 2-0 to go through 4-2 on aggregate. B

But it did take them until the 68th minute at the Cairo International Stadium to score after Benson Mhlongo tripped Mohamed Barakat and Shady Mohamed tucked the resultant penalty.

Mohamed Aboutrika added one mote for good measure 10 minutes later.

Zamalek 1 Sundowns 2 (July 17, 2016):

A lucky break for Sundowns as they were eliminated in the early rounds of the Champions League but then restored to the competition, and straight into the group phase, after early round opponents AS Vita Club from the Democratic Republic of Congo were found to have used a defaulter.

Pitso Mosimane’s side needed no second invitation and won their opening two Group B matches before taking on Zamalek at the Petrosport Stadium in Cairo and winning 2-1 with goals from Tiyani Mabunda and Khama Billiat for their first triumph on Egyptian soil.

They went onto win their group and get to the final.

Zamalek 1 Sundowns 0 (October 23, 2016):

The two clubs met again in the 2016 Champions League final with Sundowns taking the first leg in Atteridgeville in emphatic fashion.

Despite the fact that only once in more than 50 years of competition had a club come back from a three goal deficit in a Champions League final, Zamalek took the game to Sundowns in the second leg in Alexandria, where Egypt’s draconian regulations on crowds had seem the government announce a limit of 20 000 spectators but 70 000 turned up nevertheless at the Borg El Arab Stadium to ensure a rollicking atmosphere.

Sundowns’ sturdy defence foiled relentless attacks and the threat of a counter goal was always on the cards until Stanley Ohawuchi finally netted for the Egyptians after 62 minutes.

That then signalled a siege of the Sundowns goal but time ran out for Zamalek and a disappointed crowd swiftly emptied the stadium, leaving the South Africans to celebrate with a small band of some 200 supporters.

Al Ahly 1 Sundowns 0 (April 13, 2019): This result did not matter, because Sundowns had handed Ahly a sobering footballing lesson in Atteridgeville the week before.

The 5-0 home win for Mosimane and his Brazilians in the Champions League quarterfinal was the heaviest defeat suffered in almost 80 years by the Cairo giants and is the reason why Mosimane went on to become coach of the Egyptian club.

Only the most ardent of Ahly fans believed their side could overturn the deficit at Alexandria’s Borg El Arab Stadium and Sundowns were never in any danger of a collapse that might offer Ahly a glimmer of home.

A consolation win was secured by a goal in the last 20 minutes from Walid Azaro.

Al Ahly 2 Sundowns 0 (29 February, 2020):

Sundowns had won their group ahead of Wydad Casablanca while Ahly were runners-up to Etoile Sahel and therefore had to host the first leg of the quarterfinal tie.

It was the last trip by a South African club before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and a harsh lesson at the Cairo International Stadium as fullback Ali Maaloul scored twice in the space of 12 minutes in the second half to hand Mosimane and his men a juddering jolt of realism.

The return leg at Atteridgeville was a 1-1 draw, with Ahly advancing 3-1 on aggregate to the semifinal, then postponed and only competed six months later with Mosimane by then having switched employers,.

Al Ahly 2 Sundowns 0 (15 May, 2021): A third year in a row that the two clubs drew each other in the last eight, with the Egyptians again having to play the first leg at home because they did not top their group, finishing runners-up to surprise package Simba.

No matter, as Ahly took it up a notch and handed Mosimane a win over his old employer at the Al Ahly Stadium.

Taher Mohamed and Salah Mohsen scored on either side of the break while Gift Motupa and Musa Lebusa both came close for The Brazilians.

A Denis Onyango error allowed Ahly to double the score and go on and advance again with a 3-1 aggregate triumph after a stalemate in the return match in Mzansi.

Al Merrikh 0 Sundowns 0 (19 February, 2022): The Sudanese giants were renovating their stadium in Omdurman and their great domestic rivals Al Hilal refused to allow them to use the other stadium on the outskirts of the capital Khartoum, so Al Merrikh took this Champions League group match to the Al Ahly Stadium in Cairo where the match ended goalless.

Al Ahly 0 Sundowns 1 (26 February, 2022): Straight after the Al Merrikh encounter, Sundowns stayed on in the Egyptian capital to take on Al Ahly at the Cairo International Stadium and saw Thapelo Morena grab an 85th-minute winner to end a run of five successive away defeats at a the hands of Ahly.

It was only the second ever win on Egyptian soil for Sundowns who went on to top Group A with a record haul of 16 points, winning five and drawing one of their group matches.

After that came an almost inevitable freeze and a shock quarterfinal exit at the hands of Angola’s Petro Atletico.

Al Ahly 2 Sundowns 2 (25 February, 2023): Yet again Sundowns and Al Ahly were paired in the same Champions League group and at the Al Ahly Stadium the pair put on a rollocking showing as they drew in what was the middle match of their six-game programme in Group B.

Peter Shalulile had Sundowns ahead not long after the half hour mark but he Cairo giants rallied in the second half before Morena scored a late equaliser, almost a year to the day after his winner when the two clubs met in the previous edition.

Pyramids 0 Sundowns 1 (19 December, 2023): Nine days after a goalless draw between the two clubs at Loftus Versfeld, Sundowns took on Pyramids again at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo and saw Tebeho Mokoena crack home after 17 minutes to win the Champions League group game with a rocket-like shot from well outside the penalty area.

Sundowns would go on and win the group and get as far as the semifinal where they came unstuck against Tunisia’s Esperance but Pyramids finished last in the group and did not advance to the knockout stages.

Al Ahly 1 Sundowns 1 (25 April, 2025): After successive semifinal setbacks, it was third time lucky for Sundowns who looked to be heading out of the Champions League when a fortuitous last-minute own goal from Yasser Ibrahim at the Cairo International Stadium handed the South Africans a place in the 2025 Champions League final as they edged Al Ahly on the away goals rule.

Pyramids coach Krunoslav Jurcic has pleaded for Egyptian fans to attend the CAF Champions League final second leg against South African club Mamelodi Sundowns in Cairo on Sunday.

While fellow Cairo clubs and African giants Al Ahly and Zamalek can attract capacity 73 000 crowds to the national stadium, Pyramids have a supporter base of just a few thousand.

"We are almost alone, we deserve support, we are representing Egypt," the 55-year-old former Croatia midfielder told reporters as Pyramids seek a first African title.

After Walid el Karti scored in added time to snatch a 1-1 first-leg draw with Sundowns in Pretoria last weekend, Pyramids have transformed from underdogs to slight favourites.

Sundowns had taken an early second-half lead through Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro only to concede with just 37 seconds remaining.

Europe has scrapped the away-goal rule in club competitions, but Africa continues to apply it, meaning a 0-0 draw at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo will give Pyramids the title.

A 1-1 draw after 90 minutes and the final goes to penalties, while a score draw with more goals would see Sundowns crowned champions a second time after winning the 2016 final.

Winning the premier African club competition at only the second attempt would cap a remarkable rise for a club bankrolled by Saudi and, more recently, Emirati petro dollars.

Formed in 2008 as Al Assiouty, the club moved to Cairo 10 years later, changed their name and had the funds to lure some of the best talent in Egypt and Africa.

While the majority of the team are Egyptians, Moroccans Mohamed Chibi and El Karti, Burkinabe Blati Toure and star Democratic Republic of Congo forward Fiston Mayele started in Pretoria.

Jurcic favours an offensive approach and hailed the surprise finalists after holding a Sundowns side including South American stars like Ribeiro and Chilean Marcelo Allende.

'HEROES'

"The players were heroes and deserve praise for their excellent performance. Sundowns are a much more experienced Champions League team," he said.

Sundowns are competing in the annual competition an 18th time, and have failed to reach the knockout phase only once since defeating Zamalek in the 2016 title decider.

Pyramids debuted in the Champions League last season and exited after winning only one of six group matches. They did draw at Sundowns then, but fell 1-0 at home to the Pretoria outfit.

Jurcic, who joined Pyramids after the previous Champions League campaign, admits he is nervous ahead of the return match "because we have not won anything yet".

Pyramids rested most of their first choices when beating Ceramica Cleopatra 5-1 on Wednesday, but had to settle for second place behind Al Ahly in the Egyptian Premier League.

Now their sights are on a double – the CAF Champions League and the Egypt FA Cup. They face Zamalek in the final of the domestic knockout competition on June 5.

Sundowns' Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso wants to avoid losing successive Champions League finals after his previous club, Esperance of Tunisia, lost to Ahly last season.

"We need mental strength because the destiny of the trophy is wide open. We must show the greater desire," he told reporters.

"Heroes emerge in difficult circumstances. It is easy to become a hero in favourable times," added the 53-year-old hired by Sundowns last December.

Like Pyramids, Sundowns have rich backers. The club is owned by Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe and run by his oldest son, Tlhopie.

They are the dominant force in South Africa having just won an eighth straight league title, but the trophy they crave is the Champions League.