- AS FAR, Sundowns Set for Decisive CAF Champions League Final Showdown in Rabat
The 2025/26 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League will reach its dramatic conclusion on Sunday when Morocco’s AS FAR host South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of the final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Sundowns travel to Morocco with a narrow 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Pretoria, but the tie remains finely balanced, with AS FAR banking on home support and a strong continental record in Rabat to overturn the deficit.
Beyond the prestige of becoming African champions, the stakes are substantial. The winners will receive a record $6 million prize purse and secure qualification for the 2026 CAF Super Cup, the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.
Sundowns claimed the first-leg advantage at Loftus Versfeld Stadium through a superb free-kick from defender Aubrey Modiba. But the South African champions were left frustrated after failing to add to their lead despite creating several chances.
The Pretoria-based club are chasing their second CAF Champions League title, having first lifted the trophy in 2016. A win in Rabat would also help erase the pain of last season’s final defeat to Pyramids FC.
Head coach Miguel Cardoso said his side’s first-leg advantage could prove important, but warned that the tie is far from settled.
“It’s my third CAF Champions League final in a row, and it’s the first time I go into the second leg with a goal advantage,” Cardoso said.
“We have the privilege to be one goal ahead, but let’s see if it’s enough or not. We will fight to make it enough.”
AS FAR, however, are chasing history of their own. The Moroccan giants are aiming to win Africa’s premier club competition for the first time since 1985, and believe the support in Rabat could help them complete a memorable comeback.
Coach Alexandre Santos acknowledged the quality of Sundowns, particularly their ability to punish opponents when given space, but insisted his players are ready to fight until the final whistle.
“It’s very difficult when Sundowns get space, they are one of the best teams on the continent,” Santos said.
“We kept the first-leg result to 1-0, and the most important thing is that we play at home and fight until the end. That’s our intention.”
Sunday’s final is expected to attract significant global interest, with CAF confirming that the match will be broadcast in more than 100 territories worldwide.
The final also comes at a time when African club football is drawing increased commercial and broadcast attention, helped by stronger continental competitions, rising prize money and growing international visibility for elite clubs.
For Sundowns, the task is to manage the pressure, protect their advantage and show the maturity of a side that has spent years building toward sustained continental dominance.
AS FAR’s, mission is clear: score, unsettle Sundowns, and use the emotion of Rabat to turn the final around. One goal separates the two sides. One match will decide whether Sundowns reclaim African supremacy or AS FAR end a 41-year wait for continental glory.
