Mamelodi Sundowns has a huge chance of qualifying for the FIFA Club World Cup next year in the US tonight if they beat Young Africans and Esperance of Tunisia fail to win their game.  

Sundowns will host Yanga at Loftus Stadium (20:00) in the second leg of the CAF Champions League quarterfinals, looking to reach the semifinal for the second time on the trot. 

These two sides shared a goalless draw in Tanzania, but Sundowns were not at their best but still managed to come away with a clean sheet.  

For Sundowns to reach the semi-final, the calculation is simple: win outright tonight while a score draw will be enough for Yanga to reach the semifinal at the expense of Sundowns.      

If Sundowns do reach the semis and Esperance fails to beat 1995 losing finalists Asec Mimosas in the two-legged tie, they will qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup via CAF rankings which have been announced by FIFA.  

“Mamelodi Sundowns will qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 via the ranking’s pathway if ES Tunis loses their quarter-final on Saturday night,” FIFA said in a statement.  

“The Tunisian club would qualify by winning this season’s Champions League, or by overtaking Masandawana in the ranking pathway.  

“If they are eliminated, they will require South Africa’s Sundowns or Egypt’s Al Ahly to claim the title to reach the tournament via the ranking pathway.”  

The better route for Sundowns to reach the Club World Cup would be to win this season’s competition, as Wydad, Sundowns’ bogey team, and Al Ahly, winners of last year’s event, have taken the two slots.  

Sundowns last won the Champions League in 2016 and they are tipped as hot favorite to win this year since Wydad, who beat them in the semi-final last season, are out of the competition.