CAF Champions League side Mamelodi Sundowns booked their place in the quarter-finals with a decisive home victory over MC Alger, overturning the Group C standings and ending the Algerian club’s continental hopes.
Entering the final round of fixtures, Sundowns sat third in the group on six points, one behind MC Alger, knowing only a win would be enough to progress.
The South African side responded with urgency from the opening whistle and were rewarded almost immediately.
After just five minutes, Brayan León found the breakthrough, giving the hosts an early advantage and shifting the pressure firmly onto their opponents.
That fast start shaped the rhythm of the contest. Sundowns controlled key phases of play, forcing MC Alger to chase the game while limiting their attacking influence.
The visitors struggled to impose themselves, and the home side maintained their intensity into the second half.
The decisive moment arrived midway through the period. Aubrey Modiba delivered a precise cross that was met by León, who converted to score his second goal of the evening in the 63rd minute.
The Colombian forward’s brace — his fourth goal since arriving in January — effectively sealed the result, allowing Sundowns to manage the closing stages with composure.
MC Alger were unable to mount a meaningful response. Their attacking efforts failed to trouble the Sundowns defence, and the match concluded with the South African side firmly in control.
The defeat left the Algerian club reflecting on a performance that did not match the stakes of the occasion.
Elsewhere in Group C, Al Hilal Omdurman secured a 1-0 win over FC Saint Éloi Lupopo to finish top with 11 points. Sundowns’ victory lifted them to second place on nine points, confirming their progression to the knockout stage.
MC Alger, despite collecting seven points, were eliminated as the group phase concluded.
The outcome underlined Sundowns’ ability to deliver under pressure, transforming a must-win scenario into a controlled performance that extended their campaign, while MC Alger’s continental journey came to an abrupt end.
