Mosimane’s trailblazers – 2016
Sundowns entered the competition through the back door after being reinstated following AS Vita Club’s disqualification. What followed made that footnote irrelevant.
Mosimane’s team beat Zamalek 3-1 on aggregate in the final – 3-0 in the first leg at Lucas Moripe Stadium before losing the return leg 1-0 in Alexandria. The squad was built around a spine of genuine continental quality.
Denis Onyango was unbeatable in goal. Hlompho Kekana controlled the midfield as captain. Khama Billiat, Keagan Dolly and Percy Tau provided pace and creativity in attack – a trio that terrorised defences across the continent.
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Billiat finished as Sundowns’ top scorer in the competition with three goals, supported by Anthony Laffor and Leonardo Castro with two each.
Cardoso’s champions – 2026
Ten years on, a very different kind of Sundowns side made history again.
Cardoso’s team did not concede a single goal at home during the entire knockout phase, keeping clean sheets against Stade Malien, Esperance and AS FAR on home soil. Across 14 matches in the competition they scored 23 goals.
Brayan Leon finished as top scorer with five goals despite only joining in January. Teboho Mokoena and Tashreeq Matthews were the heartbeat of the side – Matthews the only player to feature in all 14 matches. Ronwen Williams was commanding throughout.
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When AS FAR levelled through a penalty in the 40th minute in Rabat, Mokoena responded with one of the goals of the tournament – a thunderous first-time strike from the edge of the box that clipped the underside of the crossbar on the stroke of half-time. Williams then saved Hrimat’s second penalty of the night in the 74th minute to seal the title.
Sundowns became the first club from outside North Africa in nearly a decade to lift the trophy. For Cardoso, it was redemption – having lost two previous CAF Champions League finals before finally lifting the trophy in Rabat.
Photo: Abdelmjid Rizkou/Gallo Images
