At Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, Mamelodi Sundowns turned a tight intercontinental evening into a South African celebration, beating Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli 2-1 to move within one match of a meeting with Paris Saint-Germain.
Key takeaways
- Portuguese forward Nuno Santos scored twice, finding the net in the 17th and 80th minutes.
- Al-Ahli drew level shortly after the opening goal when Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was credited with an own goal.
- The result sends Sundowns into the Challenger Cup of the 2026 Intercontinental Cup.
- Their next opponent will come from the Derby of the Americas, involving Mexico’s Toluca and the Copa Libertadores winners.
- Paris Saint-Germain are already waiting in the Intercontinental Cup final after retaining the UEFA Champions League.
Sundowns withstand Al-Ahli response in Pretoria
Sundowns began brightly in the Africa-Asia-Pacific Cup and went ahead after 17 minutes through Nuno Santos. The advantage was brief, however, as Al-Ahli were back level two minutes later following an own goal attributed to Williams.
The match remained open deep into the second half before Santos delivered the decisive intervention. His 80th-minute finish completed his brace and secured Sundowns’ 2-1 victory in front of their home support in Pretoria.
For Al-Ahli, the defeat ended a short Intercontinental Cup campaign that had started with a 1-0 win over New Zealand club Auckland in Jeddah on 26 August, the opening fixture of the 2026 competition.
A continental route still to be decided
Sundowns now advance to the Challenger Cup, where they will face the winner of the Derby of the Americas. Toluca enter that tie as CONCACAF Champions Cup holders, while their opponent will be South America’s Copa Libertadores champions.
The Libertadores final is scheduled for 28 November in Montevideo. Its semi-finals, set for the second half of October, pair Estudiantes with Flamengo and Fluminense with Palmeiras.
The winner of that American contest will meet Sundowns, with the surviving club earning the right to face PSG in the Intercontinental Cup final. The French champions have won the Champions League for a second successive season, although the date and venue for the final have yet to be confirmed.
