Match Facts: Sundowns v AS FAR - First-leg, TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final
Mamelodi Sundowns and FAR Rabat are preparing for a fascinating tactical battle as two former African champions collide in the first leg of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final on Sunday.
The South African giants head into the showdown carrying impressive home form and attacking momentum, while the Moroccan side arrive with one of the competition’s strongest defensive records this season.
Sundowns will be targeting a second continental crown after their 2016 triumph, while FAR Rabat are chasing a first CAF Champions League title since 1985 in what is only the club’s third appearance in the competition.
Both teams already know each other well after two tightly contested 1-1 draws during last season’s group stage meetings, suggesting another evenly balanced encounter could be on the cards.
With attacking stars, elite goalkeepers and contrasting tactical approaches all set to share the same stage, the first leg in Pretoria promises to deliver a high-level continental contest.
As the countdown to kickoff continues, all signs point toward a tightly contested first leg between two sides carrying genuine ambitions of lifting Africa’s biggest club trophy later this month.
Below are the key statistics for the match:
Mamelodi Sundowns vs AS FAR
Date: Sunday, 17 May 2026
Venue: Tshwane, South Africa
Kick-off: 16h00 local time | 14h00 GMT
● Mamelodi Sundowns and FAR Rabat have met twice in the CAF Champions League, with both their meetings in the 2024-25 group stage matches finishing 1-1.
● Mamelodi Sundowns are unbeaten across their eight home games against Moroccan sides in the CAF Champions League, alternating between wins (4) and draws (4).
● Mamelodi Sundowns have reached the CAF Champions League final for the fourth time in their history, losing to Al Ahly in 2001 (4-1 on aggregate), winning against Zamalek in 2016 (3-1 in aggregate) and losing to Pyramids in 2024-25 (3-2 on aggregate).
● FAR Rabat have reached the final of the CAF Champions League for the first time, with this is just their third appearance in the competition (group stage in 2007 and quarter-finals in 2024-25).
● Mamelodi Sundowns are unbeaten at home across the last two CAF Champions League seasons (P11 W6 D5), winning each of their last three without conceding.
● FAR Rabat have won just two of their 12 away games in the CAF Champions League (D5 L5), failing to score in four of their last five matches on the road in the competition.
● FAR Rabat are yet to concede a first half goal in the CAF Champions League this season, while Mamelodi Sundowns have conceded the most first half goals in the competition this term (6). Indeed, each of five goals that FAR Rabat conceded this season came between 50th and 70th minute of games.
● Mamelodi Sundowns have scored six goals following build up attacks (sequences that contains 10+ passes) in the CAF Champions League this season, three times more as all other teams combined in the competition this term (2).
● FAR Rabat have conceded just 0.5 goals per game in the CAF Champions League this season (5 goals in 10 games), the fewest of any side this campaign – the last side to score multiple goals against them was Pyramids 11 games ago in the 2024-25 quarter-finals (4-1).
● Brayan Léon has scored five of Mamelodi Sundowns’ last seven goals in the CAF Champions League, netting in each of his last four starts in the competition – no player on record (since 2016) has scored in five consecutive starts in the CAF Champions League.
● FAR Rabat’s Ahmed Tagnaouti has prevented 4.6 goals with his 25 saves in the CAF Champions League this season (5 goals conceded, 9.6 xGoT – excluding own goals), the most of any goalkeeper in the competition this term.
● Mamelodi Sundowns’ Teboho Mokoena has been involved in 42 open play shot ending sequences in the CAF Champions League this season, the most of any player and at least 17 more than any FAR Rabat’s player in this category (Ahmed Hammoudan and Abdelfattah Hadraf both 25).