Mokwena Set For Emotional Reunion Against Sundowns In Champions League

Rulani Mokwena is set to face his former club Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League group stage after his new team, MC Alger, was drawn in the same group as the South African champions.

Sundowns were placed in Group C alongside MC Alger (Algeria), Al Hilal (Sudan), and St. Eloi Lupopo (DR Congo).

Eloi Lupopo reached the group stage after knocking out Orlando Pirates in the second preliminary round, winning on penalties after the Soweto giants had impressively overturned a 3–0 first-leg deficit.

Mokwena, who guided Sundowns to the CAF Champions League title in 2016 as assistant coach under Pitso Mosimane, will now face his former side from the opposite dugout.

The former Orlando Pirates assistant coach also led Sundowns to back-to-back Champions League semi-finals in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons — the first time the club achieved that feat consecutively — but lost to Wydad Casablanca and Espérance de Tunis, respectively.

Last season, Sundowns came agonizingly close to reclaiming the continental crown, losing to Egyptian side Pyramids FC in the two-legged final.

Pyramids, meanwhile, were drawn in Group A alongside RS Berkane (Morocco), Rivers United (Nigeria), and Power Dynamos (Zambia). The Egyptian club eliminated Orlando Pirates in last season’s semi-finals.

In Group B, record champions Al Ahly will face Young Africans (Tanzania), AS FAR Rabat (Morocco), and JS Kabylie (Algeria).

Group D features Espérance de Tunis, who knocked out Sundowns in the semi-finals two seasons ago. They will take on Simba SC (Tanzania), Atlético Petróleos (Angola), and Stade Malien (Mali).

The CAF Champions League group stage matches are scheduled to kick off on 21 November.