CAF Champions League: Mamelodi Sundowns Out For Redemption in CAFCL Final
Brayan Leon powers Sundowns into Champions League final
Mamelodi Sundowns earned their chance to right their wrongs from last season by booking their spot in the CAF Champions League final for a second season in a row, beating Esperance Tunis 2-0 on aggregate over the past weekend.
Masandawana famously won Africa’s premier club competition a decade ago in 2016, beating Zamalek over two legs. They reached the final of the tournament last season but lost to Egyptian Premier League outfit Pyramids 3-2 on aggregate.
Brayan Leon was the star of the show for the PSL champions in the semi-finals. The Colombian netted the winner in the first leg to give his side the advantage in the tie and confirmed our CAF Champions League predictions by scoring the crucial goal at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday.
Leon has been in stunning form since joining the Brazilians from Independiente Medellin during the winter transfer window. He has already scored five goals in 10 PSL matches and has now netted five times in as many Champions League games for Downs.
Sundowns will now begin preparations for the final, where they will come up against FAR Rabat, who pulled off a stunning victory over Renaissance Berkane, overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit with a 2-0 victory in the second leg to progress 2-1 on aggregate.
The 2025-26 CAF Champions League final will be played over two legs. The first encounter will be played at Loftus in Pretoria on May 15, while the second and deciding leg of this year’s continental showpiece will take place in Rabat, Morocco, on May 24.
Third time lucky in CAFCL for Miguel Cardoso?
While Mamelodi Sundowns are looking for redemption in this year’s final, for head coach Miguel Cardoso, this is a massive opportunity. Unlike Downs, Cardoso has led teams to the grandest stage of the continent in each of the last two seasons without success.
In 2024, the Portuguese tactician took the team he just defeated, ES Tunis, to the final but was edged by Al Ahly 1-0 before suffering defeat to Pyramids with Masandawana last season. Speaking to the media after Sunday’s victory, Cardoso said:
"We're going to fight a lot to win for sure... a lot, a lot, until the last minute. We are very committed to that. Having positive approach is very important.”
However, before Sundowns go for glory in the CAF Champions League final next month, their focus will be firmly set on their domestic league, where they trail Orlando Pirates by two points but have two games in hand, ahead of their clash against Stellenbosch on Wednesday evening.
2025-26 PSL standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando Pirates | 25 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 50 | 11 | 39 | 58 |
| 2 | Mamelodi Sundowns | 23 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 42 | 12 | 30 | 56 |
| 3 | Kaizer Chiefs | 24 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 46 |
| 4 | AmaZulu | 25 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 39 |
| 5 | Sekhukhune United | 25 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 25 | 20 | 5 | 38 |
| 6 | Durban City | 25 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 35 |
| 7 | Polokwane City | 24 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 34 |
| 8 | Lamontville Golden Arrows | 25 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 31 | 32 | −1 | 34 |
| 9 | Stellenbosch | 24 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 23 | 26 | −3 | 31 |
| 10 | Richards Bay | 25 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 21 | 27 | −6 | 30 |
| 11 | Siwelele | 24 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 17 | −4 | 28 |
| 12 | TS Galaxy | 25 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 25 | 34 | −9 | 25 |
| 13 | Chippa United | 25 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 33 | −13 | 24 |
| 14 | Magesi | 24 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 37 | −15 | 20 |
| 15 | Marumo Gallants | 25 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 34 | −17 | 20 |
| 16 | Orbit College | 24 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 17 | 39 | −22 | 19 |
