Champions League: Mamelodi Sundowns, defending African champions, eliminated by Wiliete on away goals
On October 23, 2026, in Pretoria, Mamelodi Sundowns, the defending African champions, were eliminated from the CAF Champions League in the second preliminary round by Wiliete SC, the runners-up of Angola. After a 0-0 draw in the first leg and a 1-1 draw in the return leg, the away goals rule decided the outcome in favor of the Angolans.
Tashreeq Matthews had opened the scoring for the South Africans before Mabululu equalized early in the second half, reports Africa Top Sports. Wiliete SC has reached the group stage of the continent's most prestigious club competition for the first time in its history. According to Le360 Sport, Sundowns will miss out for the first time in over a decade.
The titleholder falls in the preliminaries
The fall is brutal for a club that had won its second continental crown by defeating AS FAR in the final (1-0 and 1-1). African club football has just served as a reminder that no hierarchy is set in stone: it was Angolan and Zambian teams that toppled two of the biggest South African names in a single evening.
Other results from October 23
In the Champions League, Petro de Luanda staged the comeback of the day: beaten 2-0 in Zimbabwe by Scottland FC, the Angolan club won 3-0 in the return leg (3-2 on aggregate). The same scenario played out for MC Alger, who were defeated 2-0 in Nigeria by Rangers International before winning 3-0 (3-2). Orlando Pirates, winners 1-0 in the first leg, managed a 1-1 draw against African Stars to advance (2-1).
In the Confederation Cup, Kaizer Chiefs were knocked out by Zambia's Red Arrows: beaten 1-0 in Zambia and winners 1-0 in the return leg, the South Africans lost 3-2 on penalties. Raja Casablanca qualified after a 2-2 draw in the first leg and a 2-0 win in the return leg against Nigeria's El-Kanemi Warriors (4-2). Primeiro de Agosto dominated DC Virunga (2-1 and 1-0, for a 3-1 aggregate).
What comes next
The qualified clubs now join the group stages of both competitions, where Wiliete SC and Red Arrows will make their debut in a league they had never reached at this level. For Mamelodi Sundowns, the continental season ends before it has even truly begun.
This article was written in French with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited below, then translated from French automatically. Read the original.
