Tomorrow 1/2 final “go” final of the Champions/Sundowns – Al Ahly: The Titan shock to dominate Africa
This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress-Rabat-Caf
It has become the essential poster for African club football. For the fifth consecutive season, Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly will cross iron in the Champions League of Totalnergies. A duel at the top, between the Egyptian ogre and the ambitious South African, which exceeds the simple frame of a semi-final.
A rivalry that has become classic
They no longer leave each other. Since 2019, Sundowns and Al Ahly have faced each other every year on the continental scene, with moments that have marked the spirits:
2019 : Sundowns crushes Al Ahly 5-0 in Pretoria, in a match remained as one of the biggest shocks in recent history.
2020-2021 : Al Ahly takes revenge with two consecutive eliminations.
2023-2024 : South Africans win the duel in the group phase (1-0) and bring back a precious draw from Cairo.
Over the years, the opposition has taken on a symbolic dimension: South African tactical modernity in the face of the weight of the Egyptian tradition. Sundowns, laboratory of ideas and fluid games, against Al Ahly, ruthless monument to the overwhelming charts (10 finals in the last 14 editions, 11 titles since 2001).
Cardoso – Koller: Brain duel
It is also a confrontation between two meticulous coaches. Arrived this season at the head of Sundowns, Miguel Cardoso refocused the project around a strong idea: defensive rigor. Less flamboyant than in the past, the South Africans have refocused on a solid block, a flawless collective discipline, and a double allende-Mokoena pivot which dictates the tempo in the middle.
Opposite, Marcel Koller continues to do koller: a coat of collective machine, pragmatic and always as formidable. The Swiss is based on the historic edge of the Red Devils, with Mohamed El Shenawy in the goals, Ali Maâloul on the left corridor, and a culture of the result that few African teams can match.
The keys to the match
The stat speaks for Sundowns: 3 goals collected only in 8 games this season in the Champions League. But the weight of history is leaning in favor of Al Ahly, broken in the exercise of the semi-finals, with an unrivaled experience on the continent.
The first leg in Pretoria, where the Egyptians had flowed in 2019, will be crucial for Sundowns. It will be necessary to make an impression, and especially to score goals, before going to Cairo, where most of their campaigns collapsed.
Peter Shalulile, author of 4 goals in the competition, is the man of the big meetings. He will be scrutinized like never before.
