Mamelodi Sundowns are fighting for the CAF Super Cup this weekend.
The PSL giants face USM Alger on 8 November at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
Here are the details as the two continental champions face off at 15:00.
CAF Super Cup: Champion vs champion
Sundowns booked their spot in the Super Cup as last season’s Champions League winners, according to CAF.
Masandawana had conquered Africa after winning their eighth consecutive Premier Soccer League title.
The Chloorkop giants lifted the Champions League trophy after beating Morocco’s AS FAR over two legs.
A victory at Loftus would be Sundowns’ second Super Cup trophy after winning it in 2017
USM Alger, meanwhile, advanced to the Super Cup after winning last season’s Confederation Cup.
They defeated Egypt’s Zamalek 7-8 on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw over the two legs of the final.
USM Alger are also one-time winners of the Super Cup, having claimed the title in 2023.
Sundowns searching for redemption
The Brazilians head into the CAF Super Cup still stinging from their Champions League exit.
Sundowns were dumped out in the second preliminary round by Angola’s Wiliete SC.
According to CAF, the teams were goalless in the first leg, before drawing 1-1 in Pretoria.
Wiliete advanced through the away goals rule, in one of the competition’s biggest upsets this season.
Coach Miguel Cardoso admitted that failing to reach the main CAF CL was a huge blow.
He said, as cited by Briefly:
“It’s a big knockout this one; it’s a big punch in our faces, yes. But what will make us stronger is how we will react; there are so many more things to win.”
Sundowns were looking on course for a domestic and continental sweep before some uncharacteristic stumbles.
However, they defeated Orlando Pirates 2-0 to win the MTN8, are into the Carling Knockout Cup semi-finals, and are leading the PSL log.
Head-to-head results
Mamelodi Sundowns and USM Alger have met twice before, according to Flashscore.
They met over two legs in the 2019/20 CAF Champions League group stage.
Their first meeting was in December 2019 in Algiers, with Sundowns winning 1-0.
Masandawana then sealed a place in the next round with a 2-1 win in Pretoria in January 2020.
This adds the spice of revenge for USM Alger in a city they’ve visited before.
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