Mamelodi Sundowns have taken another step in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup after beating Al Ahli Saudi 2-1 in Pretoria on Saturday, 19 September 2026. The result, confirmed by FIFA, CAF and the AFC, means the South African club have won the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup and progressed to the FIFA Challenger Cup.
Nuno Santos scored both Sundowns goals, opening the scoring in the 17th minute and finding the net again in the 80th. Al Ahli were level only two minutes after the opener when a Feras Al Brikan effort deflected off Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and was recorded as an own goal.
FIFA's match report described a contest in which both sides had opportunities before Santos settled it late on. That makes the 2-1 scoreline significant beyond the individual match: Sundowns are now one victory away from reaching the final of FIFA's annual global club competition.
Why this result matters
Sundowns entered the tie as African champions after winning the 2025/26 CAF Champions League. Al Ahli arrived as the AFC Champions League Elite holders and had already come through the opening Intercontinental Cup stage by beating Auckland FC 1-0 in Jeddah.
The Pretoria meeting therefore brought together the reigning club champions of Africa and Asia, with a trophy and continued participation in the Intercontinental Cup at stake. Sundowns' victory keeps the CAF representatives in the competition and ends Al Ahli's 2026 Intercontinental Cup campaign.
For South African readers, interest in the fixture was also clearly elevated. The supplied LiveScores South Africa trend signal recorded reported interest of 5000+ for the query 'sundowns' at 07:14 UTC on 20 September. That should be read as an indication of reader interest around the team, not as an audited or exact search-volume figure.
What happens next
Sundowns will next play in the FIFA Challenger Cup. Their opponent will be the winner of the FIFA Derby of the Americas, which is set to feature Concacaf champions Toluca against the eventual 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores champions.
The Libertadores winner is due to be decided in Montevideo on 28 November, so Sundowns must wait for that side of the bracket to be completed before their next Intercontinental Cup opponent is known. FIFA has also said the final three matches of the competition will be staged in one host country, with that host still to be confirmed.
If Sundowns win the Challenger Cup, they will advance to the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, the UEFA Champions League winners. That gives the club a clear route from Saturday's victory to a potential meeting with the European champions, but there is still another knockout match to negotiate first.
For LiveScores South Africa readers following the competition, the immediate point is straightforward: Sundowns are through, Al Ahli are out, and the African champions remain alive in a tournament that now moves toward its final global stages.