Two African heavyweights Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly played out a goalless draw in the first leg of their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League semi-final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday.
The clash between the South African champions and Egypt’s record 14-time title holders produced few clear chances but plenty of tactical intrigue, as both sides looked to gain psychological edge ahead of the decisive second leg in Cairo.
Sundowns entered the match with hopes of capitalising on home advantage, but Al Ahly’s defensive resilience and experience in high-stakes continental showdowns proved decisive in keeping the hosts at bay.
The draw leaves the tie finely poised ahead of next weekend’s return leg at the Cairo International Stadium, a venue where Sundowns have traditionally struggled.
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Al Ahly, have been unbeaten at home in the CAF Champions League since 2021, will now fancy their chances of securing a place in the final as they chase a record-extending 15th continental crown.
For Sundowns, who last lifted the trophy in 2016, the goalless first leg means they must do what they have failed to do in previous visits to Cairo—win.
The home side dominated possession early on and looked to assert themselves with efforts from Teboho Mokoena and Lucas Ribeiro Costa.
However, they struggled to break through a disciplined Al Ahly defence marshalled by Mostafa Al Aash and Yasser Ibrahim.
Al Ahly came closest to scoring just before half-time when Nejc Gradisar saw his header crash off the post after being set up by Emam Ashour.
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Sundowns responded with efforts from Marcelo Allende and Peter Shalulile, but neither side could find the cutting edge in the final third.
Substitutions in the second half saw both coaches—Miguel Cardoso for Sundowns and Marcel Koller for Al Ahly—try to tilt the balance in their favour.
Arthur Sales and Iqraam Rayners were introduced for the hosts, while Achraf Bencharki and Akram Tawfik came on for the visitors.
But the breakthrough never arrived, with both goalkeepers—Ronwen Williams and Mohamed El Shenawy—largely untested despite moments of attacking promise.
