Mamelodi Sundowns won the 2026 CAF Champions League by holding Morocco’s AS FAR Rabat to a 1-1 draw in the second leg on May 24, clinching the title 2-1 on aggregate [1, 2].
The second leg took place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, which has a capacity of 70,000 fans who created a hostile atmosphere for the visitors [3, 4, 5]. AS FAR Rabat’s captain Mohamed Hrimat put the hosts ahead with a penalty after 40 minutes [1, 2]. Sundowns equalized late in first half stoppage time through a powerful strike by Teboho Mokoena, sealing the crucial away goal [1, 2].
The home side missed a chance to regain the lead with a second penalty 15 minutes from time, which was saved by Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. Williams said, "It was fully deserved, what this team has been through, knocking on the door every season. Finally the door opened for us and we get to add the star to the jersey" [1].
Sundowns had won the first leg 1-0 in Pretoria on May 17, giving them a slender lead to defend in the return leg [3, 1, 2, 5]. The 2026 victory marks Sundowns’ second CAF Champions League title, following their previous triumph in 2016 [3, 1, 2].
Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso succeeded after losing two finals in recent years—once with Esperance in 2024 and last year with Sundowns before finally lifting the trophy this time [1, 2, 5]. He said before the second leg that the team needed to "take ourselves to a place where maybe we will never go again," describing their determination to secure victory [3].
AS FAR Rabat enjoyed strong backing from their passionate home crowd, which created an intense atmosphere at the stadium [3, 4]. Alexandre Santos of Rabat expressed hope for a historic win, saying, "The supporters are unbelievable, and we believe they can help us a lot. I believe a lot that we will give them the victory that they have been craving for decades, the most important title in Africa" [3].
With this win, Sundowns qualify for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup and the CAF Super Cup. The combined prize money could total $6 million for the Champions League plus $500,000 for the Super Cup winner, alongside $9.5 million minimum possible payout at the Club World Cup [1, 5].
