Al Ahli face Mamelodi Sundowns with new coach, squad and greater expectations

Al Ahli return to continental competition against Mamelodi Sundowns with a markedly different team from the one that faced Africa’s champions a year ago.

The Saudi club have changed manager and lost several of their most prominent players since the 2025 edition, while their ambitions have grown after winning the AFC Champions League Elite for a second time.

In 2025, Al Ahli were managed by Matthias Jaissle and had Algeria international Riyad Mahrez and Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie among their key players. They entered the tournament as one-time Asian champions before losing 3-1 to Pyramids FC.

The 2026 campaign begins under Marino Pusic, following the departures of Jaissle, Mahrez and Kessie. New arrivals, including Eduard Spertsyan and Francisco Trincao, have taken on greater importance in a squad whose attacking options and creative approach have been reshaped.

A different status for Al Ahli

The most significant change is not limited to the names in the squad. Al Ahli now arrive as two-time Asian champions after securing the AFC Champions League Elite title for the second time.

That achievement brings a different level of responsibility. The club are no longer simply attempting to prove themselves against the champions of another confederation; they are expected to represent Asia as one of its leading sides when they meet African champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

Pusic must also establish a new identity after the loss of players who had formed an important part of the team’s character. Mahrez and Kessie were central to the previous version of Al Ahli, leaving the new manager with the task of creating a fresh structure around the players now available to him.

Pusic’s first major test

Pusic has the opportunity to develop a team with a different tactical profile. The changes to the squad should allow him to redistribute responsibilities and build a system suited to the qualities of the new arrivals.

Spertsyan and Trincao provide additional options in attack and in the creation of chances. Their presence gives Al Ahli alternatives to the players who featured in 2025, although the immediate challenge will be fitting those qualities into a balanced and cohesive unit.

There will be little time for experimentation against Mamelodi Sundowns. The South African side have extensive experience in matches of this nature, while home advantage adds another factor to Al Ahli’s task.

Pusic’s use of his new players, and his ability to balance possession, pressing and defensive cover, could prove decisive. An overly aggressive attacking approach may leave spaces for Mamelodi Sundowns to exploit.

A year after their 3-1 defeat by Pyramids FC, Al Ahli face Africa’s champions once again, but under entirely different circumstances. They now have a new manager, a reworked squad and a second Asian title to defend in terms of reputation.

The central contest remains unchanged: the champions of Asia against the champions of Africa. For Al Ahli, the aim is to produce a different outcome from the one that ended their 2025 campaign.