Mamelodi Sundowns vs AS FAR Rabat: CAF Champions League final preview

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South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns volition support a 1-0 pb implicit Moroccan hosts AS FAR Rabat connected Sunday successful the 2nd limb of the CAF Champions League last successful a lucifer that volition beryllium broadcast successful much than 100 countries.

It is besides a crippled that has Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso nether pressure, having mislaid the past 2 finals, and who is present starring the squad into the astir invaluable nine lucifer staged successful African shot history.

How overmuch is astatine involvement successful the CAF Champions League final?

The aggregate winners of the marquee African nine contention pouch a grounds $6m positive the accidental to slope a further $500,000 by winning a CAF Super Cup match.

On apical of that, whichever nine is crowned champions astatine the 70,000-seat Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium is acceptable for a minimum $9.5m payout arsenic 2029 FIFA Club World Cup qualifiers.

Sundowns were among 4 African entrants astatine the archetypal variation of the satellite nine title successful the United States past twelvemonth and returned location $12.5m richer.

Apart from the $9.5m information fee, they pocketed an further $2m for beating Ulsan of South Korea and $1m for drafting with Fluminense of Brazil.

The 2nd variation of the World Club Championship is scheduled for 2029, with Egyptian broadside Pyramids already securing a place, having beaten Sundowns successful the 2025 Champions League final.

Pyramids volition beryllium joined by the winners of the adjacent 3 editions, starting with the showdown betwixt AS FAR and Sundowns, some of whom person been African champions once.

Why is Sundowns manager Cardoso nether truthful overmuch pressure?

Portuguese Cardoso has taken clubs to the past 2 Champions League finals, lone to neglect with Esperance of Tunisia successful 2024 and Sundowns past season.

No manager has reached 3 consecutive Champions League finals and mislaid them each since the contention debuted successful 1964.

Portuguese Manuel Jose guided Al Ahly of Egypt to 4 consecutive rubric deciders from 2005 and won three. Another Ahly tactician, South African Pitso Mosimane, reached 3 successful a enactment and won two.

During his archetypal afloat play successful complaint of the Pretoria outfit, Cardoso has not lifted a trophy, failing to triumph immoderate of the 3 home knockout competitions.

How person Sundowns fared successful the South African Premiership?

A time earlier Sundowns look AS FAR, Orlando Pirates won the South African Premiership by beating Orbit College, whose relegation was confirmed by the 2-0 defeat.

With the Pirates crowned champions, it ends an unthinkable tally by Sundowns, who won the past 8 editions of the richest African nationalist league.

Should Sundowns suffer to AS FAR, they volition implicit the play without a trophy, having pursued 4 successful South Africa and 1 successful Africa.

What has Cardoso said astir Sundowns’ form?

The 53-year-old Portuguese admitted to reporters that Sundowns should person won the archetypal limb by a wider borderline past Sunday.

“We could person scored 1 much extremity and created a greater advantage,” said Cardoso. He mightiness person been referring to Brayan Leon missing a sitter oregon a Teboho Mokoena free-kick hitting the post.

“Provided we instrumentality the vigor exhibited successful the archetypal lucifer into the instrumentality game, we tin go African champions again,” helium says.

How does AS FAR manager Santos signifier up against Cardoso?

In the AS FAR dugout volition beryllium different Portuguese coach, Alexandre Santos, 4 years younger than Cardoso. He is seeking his archetypal African trophy.

The opposition betwixt the coaches is sharp. Cardoso moves up and down his method country constantly, issuing instructions.

Santos stands inactive for lengthy periods, emotionless. His hands sometimes screen his rima arsenic helium intently observes what is unfolding.

“The extremity we conceded successful South Africa was not our fault, but the large quality of a Sundowns player,” Santos says, mentioning a thunderbolt free-kick from full-back Aubrey Modiba.

Modiba could miss the 2nd limb aft retiring injured past weekend. If unavailable, Zimbabwe planetary Divine Lungu is the apt replacement.

How person AS FAR Rabat fared successful the Moroccan league this season?

AS FAR are 1 constituent down the Botola Pro league leaders MAS Fes successful the Moroccan home league, but bash clasp a crippled successful manus connected the array toppers.

The 16-team league has seen AS FAR play 20 of their matches successful this campaign, winning 10 portion they stay the competition’s lone unbeaten broadside this season.

Only 4 points abstracted the apical 5 teams successful the league.

Can a South African broadside extremity North Africa’s CAF dominance?

Victory for Sundowns would extremity a tally of 9 consecutive Champions League titles for North African clubs, including 2 for Moroccan outfit Wydad Casablanca, since Sundowns triumphed successful 2016.

History offers fewer clues to the apt outcome, arsenic six clubs person taken 1-0 first-leg leads successful finals, with 3 going connected to go champions and 3 failing.

It would not beryllium astonishing if the rubric decider was settled either by distant goals oregon a punishment shootout.

En way to the final, AS FAR won 5 times and drew doubly astatine home. Sundowns won twice, drew doubly and mislaid doubly successful distant matches.

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