Mamelodi Sundowns Progress in CAF Champions League Despite Losing to Stade Malien

• Mamelodi Sundowns are through to the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League after beating Stade Malien in the quarter-finals on aggregate
• The Premier Soccer League giants lost against the Malian side in the second leg of their quarter-final fixture, but their first-leg win gave them the edge
• The 2016 champions would face another strong side in the semi-final of the competition as they hope to win the title this season

Mamelodi Sundowns luckily secured a place in the CAF Champions League semi-finals despite a tense 2-0 defeat to Mali’s Stade Malien in the quarter-final second leg on Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Bamako.

The visitors had a challenging outing at the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako, falling two goals behind within the first 40 minutes as Malien threatened to end their campaign in the Champions League.

Things worsened for Miguel Cardoso’s side when they were reduced to 10 men with just 13 minutes remaining. The match ended 3-2 on aggregate thanks to the Brazilians' 3-0 win in the first leg in South Africa.

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Stade Malien defeat Sundowns in Bamako

Malien wasted no time taking control, with Taddeus Nkeng heading in a first-minute goal. Nkeng was perfectly positioned at the back post to meet a precise cross from Mamadou Traore.

Sundowns nearly responded seven minutes later when Nunos Santos struck a well-timed volley, but it was blocked by a defender.

In the 16th minute, controversy struck when Malien appeared to double their lead with Nkeng scoring from an offside position. The referee initially allowed the goal before overturning it after a brief review, giving Sundowns temporary relief in the tie.

However, the Brazilians’ struggles continued when Haman Mandjan scored Malien’s second goal just before halftime. After his initial shot hit the crossbar, Mandjan slotted the rebound past Ronwen Williams, giving the home team a 2-0 advantage at the break.

At the restart, Sundowns pushed forward, looking to reduce the deficit. Iqraam Rayners thought he had scored in the 54th minute, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

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Their hopes suffered a further blow when Aubrey Modiba received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle, leaving Sundowns a man short. Cardoso responded by bringing Divine Lunga on for Santos, and the team defended resolutely to preserve their aggregate lead.

Sundowns' next opponent in the Champions League

Mamelodi Sundowns have now qualified for the CAF Champions League semi-final for the fourth season in a row, and would be facing a familiar opponent in the next round, a team they eliminated from the competition last season.

Miguel Cardoso and his boys will face the Portuguese tactician's former club, Esperance of Tunisia, in the last four. The North African club knocked them out of the competition in 2024, which means the Brazilians are seeking revenge this campaign.

Cardoso slams PSL over Sundowns' treatment

Briefly News also reported that Cardoso called out PSL over the unfair treatment of Mamelodi Sundowns ahead of their game against Stade Malien.

The Portuguese tactician is not happy with the organisers of the PSL schedule, as they are still the only South African club participating in continental football this season.

Source: Briefly News