Fans To Wait Until February For Mokwena’s Return Against Sundowns
Fans eager to see Rulani Mokwena make his return to South Africa with MC Alger will have to wait a little longer after CAF confirmed the CAF Champions League group stage fixtures.
The highly anticipated clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and Mokwena’s MC Alger will only take place in February 2026.
Sundowns were drawn in Group C alongside MC Alger, Al Hilal, and St Eloi Lupopo. The draw was made on Monday, setting up an emotional reunion for Mokwena, who left Sundowns at the end of the 2023/24 season after winning both the Betway Premiership and the African Football League (AFL).
Since taking charge of MC Alger, Mokwena has made an immediate impact — the Algerian giants are unbeaten in 11 matches and currently sit top of the league in their domestic competition.
According to the fixture list, Mokwena will face his former club in the second leg on the weekend of 13–15 February 2026, when Sundowns host MC Alger in South Africa.
Sundowns will kick off their group-stage campaign against St Eloi Lupopo on the weekend of 21–23 November 2025, before travelling to Algeria to face MC Alger on the weekend of 28–30 November.
The Champions League group stage will resume after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) — which runs from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 — with Sundowns hosting Al Hilal on the weekend of 23–25 January 2026.
Matchday four will see Sundowns travel to Sudan to take on Al Hilal on the weekend of 30 January–1 February, followed by an away fixture against St Eloi Lupopo on the weekend of 6–8 February.
Their final group-stage match will be a blockbuster at home against Mokwena’s MC Alger on the weekend of 13–15 February 2026, a clash expected to draw massive local interest as the former Sundowns coach returns to Tshwane.
