Mamelodi Sundowns won the African Champions League final on May 24, defeating Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces 2-1 on aggregate to claim the continent’s top club prize [1, 2, 3]. This victory came after a tense second leg in Rabat, with Sundowns showing mental and technical strength.
Eight players from Sundowns are included in South Africa’s 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup announced on May 27 by coach Hugo Broos [1, 2, 3]. The squad also features eight players from Orlando Pirates, who clinched the domestic league title just days earlier by finishing one point ahead of Sundowns [1, 2, 3].
Broos praised the quality and experience within the squad, saying, “We can say that we have players of the best teams of the season. Those guys have much experience at a high level.” He called Sundowns’ Champions League final the toughest game in years, both mentally and technically, adding that the win provided his team with a valuable confidence boost. “I'm certainly happy that Sundowns won the Champions League, because I was afraid that if they should lose, I would get players who would be very disappointed. So now they all have that boost of confidence, and that helps a lot,” Broos said [1].
South Africa is drawn in Group A at the World Cup, set to face co-host Mexico in the opening match on June 11, followed by games against the Czech Republic and South Korea later in the month [1, 2, 3]. Broos set a clear target for progression: securing three points early in the group to maximize chances of reaching the knockout stage for the first time in South Africa's four World Cup appearances. “For me, the first goal in this group stage is to get, as soon as possible, three points. I'm convinced if we have three points, we go to the next stage, certainly taking into account that in this World Cup, there are eight third-placed finishers who advance from the group stage,” Broos explained [1].
He noted the format changes give South Africa a better chance to advance but emphasized the necessity of winning early: “But if you don't have three points, I think it will not be possible to advance. So for us, it will be very important to have those three points as soon as possible, and again, I'm confident that we can achieve that.”
South Africa’s first World Cup match against Mexico on June 11 will test the team’s cohesion and confidence coming off the Sundowns’ continental triumph [1, 2, 3].