Mamelodi Sundowns captured the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup after beating Al Ahli 2-1 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday. The African champions secured the first trophy of the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup campaign and advanced to the FIFA Challenger Cup, moving one step closer to a potential final against defending champions Paris Saint-Germain. Nuno Santos was the hero for Sundowns, scoring a header in each half to settle a closely contested encounter in front of a capacity home crowd. Sundowns took an early lead through Santos, but Al Ahli quickly restored parity when Feras Al Brikan’s effort deflected off goalkeeper Ronwen Williams before crossing the line. Both sides continued to create chances in an open contest, but Santos struck again after the break, guiding another header into the net to seal victory for the hosts. The result ended Al Ahli’s campaign following their 1-0 victory over Auckland FC in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific play-off. Sundowns will next face the winner of the FIFA Derby of the Americas, which pits CONCACAF Champions Cup holders Toluca against the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores champions. The South American champions will be crowned in Montevideo, Uruguay, on November 28. The winner of the FIFA Challenger Cup will advance to the final against UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, who lifted the FIFA Intercontinental Cup trophy last December. The final three matches of the competition will be played in a single host country, which FIFA will confirm at a later date.
