Brayan Leon of Mamelodi Sundowns challenged by Mohamed Ben Hamida of Esperance Tunis during the CAF Champions League 2025/26 1st leg match between Esperance and Mamelodi Sundowns at Stade Olympique de Rades in Rades, Tunisia on the 12 April 2026 ©Mehrez Toujani/BackpagePix
Friday Apr 17, 2026. 11:00
Mamelodi Sundowns and ASFAR will be geared to take advantage of their first-leg leads when the return matches for the CAF Champions League semifinals are played on Saturday 18 April in Pretoria and Berkane.
Sundowns rode their luck to claim a 1-0 away win over Esperance de Tunis this past Sunday evening, with Brayan Leon’s goal early in the second half handing the South African club a key advantage as they seek a fourth Champions League final appearance (and a second title, adding to their continental triumph a decade ago).
However, four-time African champions Esperance will back themselves to put pressure on Sundowns at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in an afternoon clash, having dominated the first-leg match at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium.
“The scoreline doesn’t reflect the match,” said Blood and Gold coach Patrice Beaumelle after the first leg. “We were more aggressive, more committed, and we managed to create several clear chances.
“Nothing is decided at this stage, no team has qualified or been eliminated. The decision will be made in the second leg, where we absolutely must be more efficient and more clinical.”
Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has warned his team that they will need to show even more resilience and determination in the home leg.
“The approach in the first half must be even stronger, even more concentrated, even more determined in terms of application and the tactical approach, so that we can take advantage of the result [in the first leg] and, of course, not go to the second match thinking that the work is done, because it’s not done, of course,” said the Portuguese tactician.
In the evening, attention turns to the Municipal Stadium in Berkane, as RS Berkane look to overturn a 2-0 deficit against fellow Moroccan club ASFAR.
The Royal Armed Forces side secured their advantage at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium last Saturday, thanks to second-half strikes from Ahmed Hammoudan and Khalid Ait Ouarkhane – setting them on course for a return to the final for the first time since their only Champions League triumph way back in 1985.
Al Zaeem coach Alexandre Santos was happy with his team’s showing, but insists that nothing is decided yet: “Now everything is still open, of course. Even if the result is positive, the message remains the same: this is just the first half. We have scored two goals, but the opponent has the quality to score in the second half or in the return leg.”
The aggregate winners will advance to the final, which is set to be played over two legs in May.
CAF Champions League fixtures
Semifinal, second legs. Times CAT. Aggregate scores in parenthesis.
Saturday 18 April
15:00: Mamelodi Sundowns v Esperance de Tunis (1-0)
21:00: RS Berkane v ASFAR (0-2)