The stage has been set for an encounter between the last two standing sides in the 2026 CAF Champions League. Mamelodi Sundowns see themselves yet again in a Champions League final, as they prepare to host Moroccan side, AS FAR on Sunday afternoon at Loftus Versfeld.
Masandawana find themselves in their second consecutive final after they emerged victorious in a tussle against Esperance de Tunis. A 2-0 result on aggregate saw them securing the first spot in the final.
Speaking to coach Miguel Cardoso ahead of the blockbuster, he expressed his gratitude and lauded his players for getting to the final stage of the tournament. He further vowed that his side will give it their all.
“We feel very privileged as a Club to be in back-to-back Champions League final. It’s a moment of ambition with an objective to fight until the very end and to give our bet in order to win it. We know what getting here means and we take it very seriously but we also want to live in the moment,” he stated.
The Brazilians play an AS FAR side that advanced to the final round after defeating RS Berkane 2-1 in the two-legged semifinal round.
On how the team has been preparing for the first leg of two crucial final matches, the coach stated that his charges are ready to get a positive result – which is crucial for them before heading to Morocco. He also said they are willing to fight until the very end, confirming that they are capable of winning it.
“We want to make a good game but these kind of games are always complicated games. We know very well what we want to do. We are going to look for a result where we can create advantages because it’s important. Sometimes we want to go quick and things can become drastic. We need to be a complete team in the four moments of the game and organise ourselves. Otherwise, we are ready for the match.”
“Only a very complete match will allow us to take an advantage. We are capable of doing it. We are committed and have the proper energy to do it. We can do it with the cheer of our supporters and them helping us by having good energy throughout the match and we ask for that. It’s also exactly by taking ourselves to the limit that we can reduce the impact of what the opponent can do and that is how we should play this game,” he concluded.
Mamelodi Sundowns will go head-to-head with AS FAR in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final on Sunday afternoon. Kick-off has been scheduled for 16H00, live on SuperSport TV and SABC Sports.
