Mamelodi Sundowns advance to Fifa Intercontinental Cup semi-finals

Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Asian champions Al Ahli Saudi 2-1 at a jam-packed Loftus Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Masandawana have now advanced to the semi-finals of the Fifa Intercontinental Cup, where they will play against Mexican club Toluca or the team that wins the Copa Libertadores in South America.

After the match, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso dedicated the victory to their injured defender Khuliso Mudau who is out with a lengthy foot injury and midfielder Jayden Adams who passed away after the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

Lanky midfielder Nuno Santos was the hero of the day with his two-headed goals in the first and the second half. The two goals were top-notch and how they were orchestrated by the two Bafana Bafana fullbacks – Abrey Modiba and Thabang Matuludi – showed how far the level of SA football has improved.

Granted, Sundowns committed some silly and schoolboy mistakes, and things like defensive organization, composure, and decision-making still expose how far off we are from the world. For instance, how Ahli scored their goal…the players were probably too excited after their opening goal and lapsed in concentration and were caught napping.

The South Africans will need to work on these areas if they have ambitions of reaching the final, against Uefa Champions PSG of France.
It’s still the small and finer details that set us apart from the world standard.

But best believe and trust that SA, or even African football for that matter, is not far off. Sundowns held their own from start to finish and emerged victorious on the day.

Kudos to the Downs fans for coming out in their numbers, but imagine if the fans did not choose games and packed Loftus to the rafters at least every weekend. Imagine what it would do for the team and the players. These are African champions and global ambassadors, for crying out loud.

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