Sundowns, Al Ahly cruise, Yanga edge FAR as TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Group Stage kicks off

Mamelodi Sundowns, Al Ahly and Young Africans both opened their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group-stage campaigns with home victories on Saturday.

Sundowns, semi-finalists last season and widely seen as Group C favourites, recovered from a brief scare to defeat DR Congo’s St Éloi Lupopo 3-1 in Pretoria.

Nuno Santos was the hero for the home side as he scored a brace to seal the comfortable victory in the tricky tie.

The South African side struck early through Santos, who finished off a clever move from Miguel Reisinho after just five minutes.

Lupopo weathered the early storm and were rewarded shortly before half-time when Wanet Kashala equalised, capitalising on a loose defensive moment to silence the home crowd.

But the second half belonged entirely to Sundowns.

Marcelo Allende restored the lead with a composed finish on 61 minutes, again combining with the influential Santos.

Substitute Arthur Sales then made an immediate impact, providing the assist for Santos to claim his brace in the 77th minute and seal a deserved victory.

Yellow cards for Aubrey Modiba and Kashala highlighted a tense spell, but Sundowns’ control and depth ultimately told.

In Dar es Salaam, Young Africans edged Moroccan giants FAR Rabat 1-0 in a tight Group B encounter played at a neutral venue, with the Tanzanian champions relying on discipline and efficiency.

After a cagey first half, Yanga found the breakthrough in the 58th minute when Prince Dube reacted quickest inside the box to steer home the winner.

The match intensified as FAR pushed back, with substitute Khabba and Tagnaouti picking up bookings amid a late surge.

Pedro Gonçalves’ men held firm, buoyed by standout performances from Mpia and Kouma, securing a vital opening win in a group regarded as one of the most competitive.

Both results underline Sundowns’ and Yanga’s intention to challenge strongly in this year’s campaign.

Al Ahly made a powerful start to their group-stage campaign with a commanding 4–1 victory over JS Kabylie in Cairo.

Ahly took control of their match through a quick double before half-time.

Trezeguet opened the scoring in the 36th minute, finishing from a Zizo pass, before Mohamed Sherif added a second three minutes later after good work from Achraf Bencharki. 

Kabylie pulled one back early in the second half when El Shenawy scored an unfortunate own goal, but Ahly reasserted dominance late on. 

Trezeguet struck again on 84 minutes, and deep into added time Mohamed Hadid turned the ball into his own net, sealing a convincing win for the Egyptian giants.

In Tunis, Esperance struggled to break down a well-organised Stade Malien side of Mali and were held to a 0-0 draw.

Despite long spells of possession and waves of second-half pressure, the hosts could not find a way through. 

Stade Malien defended with discipline, made timely substitutions, and survived several late pushes, while bookings for Jelassi and Bode reflected Esperance’s growing frustration.

The results leave Ahly beginning strongly, while Esperance face early questions in a competitive group.