Mamelodi Sundowns Drop Points Against 10-Man Al Hilal Side in CAF Champions League

• Mamelodi Sundowns have dropped points in their third group game in the CAF Champions League after being held at home by Al Hilal
• The Premier Soccer League giants failed to get the much-desired win, which could give edge over other teams in their group
• The result could work against the Betway Premiership defending champions if they fail to get a good result in the second leg

Mamelodi Sundowns failed to make it two wins out of two games in 2026 as they dropped points against Al Hilal in their CAF Champions League fixture at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Friday, January 23, 2026.

The Brazilians started the year with a win against Orbit College in the Betway Premiership but were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Al Hilal.

Abdelrazeg Yagoub Omer scored a brace for the visitors, with Arthur Sales and Teboho Mokoena finding the back of the net for the Premier Soccer League giants in South Africa.

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Sundowns drop points against Al Hilal

Miguel Cardoso reshuffled his starting XI after Monday’s victory over Orbit College, reinstating Bafana Bafana regulars Khuliso Mudau and Teboho Mokoena, while Nuno Santos, Marcelo Allende and Keanu Cupido also returned to the lineup.

The hosts asserted themselves early, controlling possession from kickoff and immediately putting the Sudanese heavyweights under pressure, with long-range strikes from Mokoena and Santos forcing goalkeeper Farid Ouedraogo into action inside the opening 10 minutes.

Despite Sundowns’ early dominance, Al-Hilal struck first against the run of play in the 15th minute, as Abdel Raouf Yaqoub reacted quickest to a deflected delivery and fired past Ronwen Williams at the near post.

The Brazilians responded swiftly, drawing level seven minutes later when Arthur Sales met a perfectly weighted ball over the top from Santos and coolly finished beyond Ouedraogo, continuing his scoring form with his second goal of the week.

Sundowns went on to control the remainder of the first half, but their dominance yielded few clear opportunities, while a frustrated Al-Hilal side resorted to robust challenges that led to multiple bookings.

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The first half ended 1-1 with Mamelodi Sundowns being the better side between both teams in terms of possession and creating scoring chances.

Brayan Leon, who joined the Brazilians this January, was introduced for Lebohang Mothiba at the break and soon found himself with a golden opportunity to give Sundowns the lead shortly after the hour. However, the Colombian forward was thwarted by an excellent stop from Ouedraogo, and Tahsreeq Matthews then squandered the rebound by firing over the bar.

After a brief spell of cautious possession from both teams, the deadlock was broken four minutes after the restart when Teboho Mokoena unleashed a superb strike from distance to hand Sundowns their first lead of the contest.

However, the advantage was short-lived as Hilal hit back seven minutes later, with Omer completing his brace after a lapse in defending allowed the ball to break kindly for him inside the box, where he calmly finished for his second goal of the evening.

Late tension followed when substitute Emmanuel Flomo was shown a straight red card for pushing Khuliso Mudau.

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The result leaves group leaders Sundowns on five points, level with Hilal but ahead on goal difference, while MC Alger and St Eloi Lupopo—who meet on Saturday—remain on one point apiece after two matches.

What's next for Mamelodi Sundowns?

Mamelodi Sundowns' next focus would be on the Betway Premiership and would need a win when they take on Sekhukhune United at the Peter Mokaba on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

After the league fixture, they will head to Kigali, Rwanda, for the second leg of the fixture, which is scheduled for Friday, January 30, 2026, at the Amahoro National Stadium.

Bafana star leaves Sundowns for PSL rivals

Briefly News also reported that a Bafana Bafana star has left Sundowns for a move to their PSL rivals after spending over five years with the defending champions.

The South African international won several titles during his time with the Brazilians, but he's now a player for the rivals.

Source: Briefly News