Ivan Toney and Edouard Mendy travel with Al Ahli for Sundowns showdown

Ivan Toney and Edouard Mendy have travelled with Al Ahli to South Africa for Saturday’s Fifa African-Asian-Pacific Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld.

The match in Pretoria will kick off at 3pm, with Al Ahli seeking to overcome a recent dip in form and secure a place in the Challenger Cup.

Toney and Mendy are among the Saudi Arabian club’s most prominent players. The England striker made his name in the English Premier League with Brentford, while Senegal goalkeeper Mendy rose to prominence during his time at Chelsea.

Both have since continued their careers with Al Ahli, helping the club win the AFC Champions League in successive seasons.

Al Ahli’s success last season earned them a meeting with Auckland City, the Oceania Champions League winners. The winners of that contest then faced Mamelodi Sundowns, who had claimed the CAF Champions League title.

Al Ahli won that match 1-0 at home and now face Sundowns again, this time in Pretoria, with a place in the Challenger Cup at stake.

The winner of the Challenger Cup will play either the Concacaf Champions Cup winners or the South American champions, who will be crowned in November. That tie will determine who faces UEFA Champions League champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Intercontinental Cup final later in the year.

Al Ahli arrive in the South African capital with their title defence having started quietly. They drew with Pakhtakor in their most recent continental match, while their domestic campaign has also been inconsistent.

They have won four and lost three of their opening seven league matches.

Sundowns, by contrast, are in strong form and have yet to begin their continental title defence because of their domestic commitments.

They currently lead the domestic league with 20 points and have reached the MTN8 final, where they will meet rivals Orlando Pirates on October 20.

The hosts will also have strong support at Loftus Versfeld, with Sundowns’ supporters expected to create a yellow-and-green atmosphere for the tie.

That backing will add to the challenge facing Al Ahli and their high-profile players, including Toney and Mendy, as they attempt to reach the next stage of the Intercontinental Cup.