Loftus Awaits: Sundowns Chase a Piece of History Against Star-Studded Al Ahli
Forget the visiting superstars for a moment — this weekend belongs to Pretoria. Mamelodi Sundowns host Saudi giants Al Ahli at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday (3pm) in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup final, with a place in the Challenger Cup — and a route to a mouth-watering Intercontinental Cup date with Paris Saint-Germain — on the line.
Why this is Sundowns’ moment
While Ahli arrive with continental pedigree, it’s Sundowns who walk in with the momentum. Domestically, the Brazilians are flying — top of the log on 20 points and already through to the MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates on 20 October. They haven’t even needed to lean on their continental form to be here; this is a side peaking at exactly the right time.
And then there’s Loftus itself. Expect Masandawana to turn the stadium into a wall of yellow and green, the kind of home atmosphere designed to rattle even the most decorated visitors.
The opposition isn’t short on star power either
Al Ahli travel with genuine box-office quality — Ivan Toney and Edouard Mendy, both products of the English Premier League (Brentford and Chelsea respectively, and full internationals for England and Senegal), have been central to Ahli’s back-to-back AFC Champions League triumphs. It was Ahli who edged out Oceania champions Auckland City 1-0 last season to set up this very meeting with CAF champions Sundowns.
But Ahli arrive with question marks of their own — a draw against Pakhtakor in their last continental outing, and a shaky domestic run of four wins and three losses in seven league matches suggests this isn’t the free-scoring Ahli of old.
What’s at stake
Win, and Sundowns advance to the Challenger Cup, facing either the Concacaf champions or South America’s best (crowned in November) — with the ultimate prize being a shot at UEFA champions PSG in the Intercontinental Cup final later this year. It’s the kind of pathway South African football rarely gets this close to.
Can Sundowns turn home advantage into a statement result against one of Asia’s best?
Tickets available from R80.
