Sundowns in the CAF Champions League: Can They Reclaim Africa After Nine Years?

Nine years. That is how long it has been since Mamelodi Sundowns stood on an African stage with the CAF Champions League trophy raised above their heads. The Pretoria side's 2016 triumph — a two-legged final win over Zamalek that announced South African football to the continent — remains the greatest achievement in the club's history. Since then: three semi-final exits, two quarter-final disappointments, and the persistent ache of a club good enough to win it but unable to quite finish the job when it matters most. The 2025/26 edition changes the story — or so those who follow this team most closely believe.

Why This Squad Is Different

Rulani Mokwena has built something at Sundowns that previous coaches — including Pitso Mosimane himself — could not quite achieve: a squad capable of winning a six-game group stage, surviving a quarter-final on aggregate, and winning a two-legged final against Al Ahly or Wydad, all while simultaneously competing in the PSL. The key is width. Mokwena has eleven players who could start a CAF quarter-final and not look out of place. When Mosimane won the competition in 2016, he had six such players. The squad evolution over a decade has been remarkable.

The spine is formidable. Ronwen Williams — who won the AFCON 2023 Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper in Africa — is the most reliable shot-stopper on the continent. The centre-back pairing of Siyanda Xulu and Rushine de Reuck has conceded an average of 0.7 goals per game in CAF competition over the past two seasons. In midfield, Sipho Mbule and Bongani Zungu protect effectively while providing the first pass that unlocks defence. Up front, the combination of Tshegofatso Mabasa and Themba Zwane creates problems no African backline has consistently solved.

The Competition That Stands in Their Way

Al Ahly remain the benchmark. The Egyptian giants have won the CAF Champions League 12 times — more than any club in the competition's history — and their infrastructure, budget, and continental experience means every final or semi-final against them is an uphill battle for any SA side. Sundowns' semi-final exits in 2021, 2022, and 2023 all came at the hands of the Cairo club or Wydad Casablanca. The psychological barrier is real.

But the landscape is shifting. Morocco's investment in football post-2022 World Cup has strengthened Wydad and Raja Casablanca. TP Mazembe from the DRC are rebuilding. Simba SC from Tanzania have shown competitive edge at the group stage. The field has widened, which paradoxically helps Sundowns — more routes through the bracket that avoid Al Ahly until a final is a genuine structural advantage in the 2025/26 edition.

The Group Stage Record

Sundowns have not lost a CAF Champions League group game in two seasons. Their record of 10 wins and 2 draws across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 group stages is the best in the competition over that period — better than Al Ahly, better than Wydad. The problem has never been the group stage. It has been the two-leg knockout format, where a single away-goal concession can undo a campaign. Mokwena has been obsessed with this variable. The training-ground adjustments to away-leg defensive organisation have been visible and measurable. His team does not make the same mistakes twice.

The 2030 World Cup Factor

Here is the context that rarely features in this conversation: Morocco, Portugal and Spain will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The investment pouring into Moroccan club football in preparation for that event is transforming Wydad and Raja into genuinely world-class operations. The window in which Sundowns can realistically compete with north African sides — before the resource gap widens further — may be as short as three to four years. The urgency in Pretoria is real, even if it is rarely spoken aloud.

The Verdict

Sundowns are the best-prepared South African club for continental football since the 2016 side that actually won it. The squad depth, the tactical evolution, and the institutional knowledge built from nine seasons of near-misses make this the most complete Sundowns team for African competition in a decade. They will not win it easily, and Al Ahly will test them at some point if both sides progress as expected. But the squad is ready. The coaching staff is ready. The only question is whether this group of players can hold their nerve for two legs in a Cairo or Casablanca hostile environment when it matters most.

Nine years is a long time to wait. South African football needs this. Follow their campaign live on our CAF Champions League page.