On April 5, 2024, Mamelodi Sundowns and Young Africans SC faced off in a CAF Champions League match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa. Mamelodi Sundowns would have advanced to the lucrative showpiece had ASEC Mimosas managed to overcome Esperance in the CAF Champions League quarterfinals.
However, the Tunisian giants advanced to the competition’s last four, bolstering their quest for Club World Cup football. The semi-final opponents, Esperance and Sundowns, now await the outcome of the Al Ahly and TP Mazembe clash to determine who advances to the Club World Cup.
The 2025 Club World Cup, to be held in the USA, will feature a 32-team format similar to that of the FIFA World Cup. Both Al Ahly and Wydad Casablanca have already secured qualification.
If Al Ahly overcomes Mazembe in the semi-finals, Esperance and Sundowns will qualify based on a superior points tally behind Al Ahly and Wydad. As things stand, Sundowns hold third place with 98 points, while Esperance trail with 90 points.
Mazembe would need to win this year’s Champions League to qualify for the tournament, thereby allowing Sundowns to qualify as the fourth-best team in the competition. The first legs of the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League are scheduled to kick off on April 19 and 20.