Photo: Delano Ramdas / Unsplash
Mamelodi Sundowns face Saudi giants Al Ahli in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup this Saturday, 19 September — the biggest match South African club football has hosted in years. It caps a huge week: Orlando Pirates are back in Betway Premiership action on Thursday fresh off a continental win, and four South African clubs now know their CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup opponents for October. Here’s everything worth knowing in South African and African football right now.
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Al Ahli: Africa’s Champions Host Asia’s Best
Mamelodi Sundowns will become the first South African club to play in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup when they host Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday, 19 September, kicking off at 18:00. The winner takes home the African-Asian-Pacific Cup and advances to the Challenger Cup in November against either Mexico’s Toluca or the Copa Libertadores champions, with a spot in December’s final against European champions Paris Saint-Germain on the line.
Sundowns qualified as reigning CAF Champions League holders, while Al Ahli reached this stage by beating Oceania champions Auckland FC 1-0 in Jeddah. Coach Miguel Cardoso’s side have been cleared to field their full squad, and yellow cards picked up during the CAF Champions League campaign have been wiped clean under FIFA’s tournament rules — a small but real advantage heading into a one-off knockout tie.
Why This Match Matters
- It’s a first for South African football — no PSL club has featured in this fixture before
- A guaranteed payday — Sundowns are assured of at least R16 million just for competing at this stage
- A home-ground edge — Sundowns have had an uninterrupted week to prepare, while Al Ahli are still travelling off their Jeddah tie
How to Watch & Ticket Info
Tickets start at just R80, among the cheapest in the tournament’s short history, with the match kicking off at 18:00 SAST at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. Local broadcast details will be confirmed closer to kick-off — check our predictions page on matchday for the latest.
Betway Premiership: Sundowns Six Clear at the Top
While their focus shifts to Al Ahli this week, Mamelodi Sundowns’ domestic form remains the story of the season. A 3-0 win over Siwelele on 9 September stretched their lead to six points from seven matches played, their fifth straight league win.
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mamelodi Sundowns | 7 | 19 |
| 2 | Orlando Pirates | 5 | 13 |
| 3 | Kaizer Chiefs | 5 | 11 |
| 4 | AmaZulu FC | 5 | 10 |
| 5 | Sekhukhune United | 6 | 8 |
| 6 | Milford FC | 6 | 8 |
| 15 | Siwelele | 6 | 2 |
| 16 | Kruger United | 5 | 1 |
Note that several clubs, including Pirates and Chiefs, have played fewer matches than Sundowns because of their continental commitments this month — the table will tighten up once those games in hand are settled.
Battle at the Bottom
At the other end, Kruger United and Siwelele have both struggled to build any consistency, sitting on 1 and 2 points respectively. Both will see the next few weeks as a chance to close the gap before it becomes unmanageable.
Orlando Pirates’ Massive Week: A Continental Win, Durban City Next
Photo: Thokozani Nkala / Unsplash
Orlando Pirates safely negotiated their CAF Champions League preliminary round tie, coming from a goal down to beat Mauritian side La Cure Waves 3-1 on aggregate, with goals from Kabelo Kgositsile, Kamohelo Sebelebele and Yanela Mbuthuma. That result sends the Buccaneers into the second preliminary round in October against Namibian champions African Stars.
Back on home soil, Pirates return to Betway Premiership action against Durban City on Thursday, 17 September at 19:30, at the Orlando Amstel Arena — a fixture moved back a day to help the club manage a packed schedule. Pirates go in full of confidence, having already beaten the same opponents 4-0 in the league and edged them 2-1 after extra time in the MTN8 quarter-finals earlier this season.
Kaizer Chiefs and Durban City Learn Their CAF Confederation Cup Fate
CAF’s latest draw also confirmed the road ahead for South Africa’s two Confederation Cup representatives:
- Kaizer Chiefs will face Zambia’s Red Arrows in the second preliminary round, after receiving a bye through the first round as a seeded club. Chiefs reached the group stages of this competition for the first time last season.
- Durban City overcame Burundi’s Rukinzo 3-1 on aggregate and now face AS Port Louis of Mauritius, who eliminated Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy in the previous round.
Both ties are scheduled for first legs between 16 and 18 October, with the return matches the following weekend — the same window as the Sundowns and Pirates Champions League ties, setting up a huge month of continental football for South African clubs.
The Wider African Picture
South Africa’s clubs aren’t the only ones with continental business. Egyptian giants Zamalek opened their CAF Champions League campaign away at Djibouti’s AS Port, while former champions Pyramids FC travelled to Nairobi to face Kenyan giants Gor Mahia — a reminder of just how far CAF’s preliminary rounds stretch across the continent, from the Indian Ocean islands to East Africa, before the familiar group-stage names even enter the picture.
This page covers real fixtures, results and continental draws as they stand today. We haven’t included match predictions or confidence-scored picks here — those are generated separately by our model and published on our daily predictions page, where every pick is graded in public against the final result.