By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, PAV – South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns will face Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli in the next stage of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup after the Asian champions beat Auckland FC 1-0 in Jeddah on August 26, 2026.
Playing at the Alinma Stadium in front of their home supporters, Al Ahli started brightly under new coach Marino Pusic and created the first clear opportunity after 17 minutes.
The New Zealand champions, who had not played a competitive match since winning the A-League title in May, remained organised and showed little inclination to sit back despite Al Ahli controlling much of the possession.
The two sides went into the interval level, with Al Ahli having been unable to turn their territorial advantage into a goal. The breakthrough came shortly after the hour mark as Abu Al Shamat timed his run to perfection to put Al Ahli ahead.
Auckland pushed forward in search of an equaliser but struggled to create a clear opening against an Al Ahli defence determined to protect its advantage. Their task became even harder late in the match when Sam Cosgrove was shown a straight red card for a high challenge.
Al Ahli held on through the closing stages to secure the 1-0 victory and set up the meeting with Mamelodi Sundowns on 19 September. The fixture will pit the African champions against the winners of the AFC Champions League Elite in a contest for the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup.
Mamelodi Sundowns’ appearance represents another opportunity for the South African club to test themselves against top-level opposition beyond Africa after their continental triumph. Al Ahli, meanwhile, will enter the meeting with the confidence of having negotiated a difficult play-off in front of their home supporters.
The winner of the Sundowns-Al Ahli encounter will progress towards the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final, with the later stages featuring the FIFA Derby of the Americas and FIFA Challenger Cup before the competition culminates in a final against defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.
