Mamelodi Sundowns begin early scouting for CAF Champions League title defence

Mamelodi Sundowns have already begun gathering detailed information on a potential CAF Champions League opponent, despite their title defence not starting for another two months.

The reigning African champions will enter the competition in the second qualifying round after finishing top of the CAF five-year ranking. That ranking is used to determine which member associations can enter two clubs in CAF competitions and also influences the seeding for draws in both the Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

The system is based on clubs’ results over the previous five years. Points are weighted according to the season in which they were earned, with more recent performances carrying greater value.

Sundowns will therefore not be involved when the opening qualifying round begins in just over a fortnight. Orlando Pirates will represent South Africa at that stage, while Sundowns are scheduled to enter the competition in October.

Their opponents will be the winners of a two-legged tie between Angolan club Wiliete Sport Clube de Benguela SAD and Seychelles side Foresters Mont Fleuri FC.

Wiliete are widely expected to progress, prompting Sundowns to start monitoring the 2025/26 Girabola runners-up before the tie has even been completed.

The South African club had a representative at Sunday’s Angolan Super Cup match between Wiliete and Petro de Luanda. Wiliete qualified for the fixture as Angola Cup winners, while Petro entered as league champions and won the match.

Sundowns are taking no chances against an ambitious Wiliete team managed by Brazilian coach Beto Bianchi and featuring former Orlando Pirates winger Gilberto.

Head coach Miguel Cardoso has already begun preparing for the possibility of facing the Angolan side. A scout watched Wiliete’s match at Novo Estadio de Futebol do Uige, with the specific task of collecting information for the South African champions.

Angolan publication Bola em Campo reported that it spoke briefly to the Sundowns scout, who confirmed that he was observing the game as part of the club’s information-gathering operation.

Wiliete begin their domestic season on Saturday. If they defeat Foresters Mont Fleuri across the two legs, they could have played as many as seven matches, including the first qualifying round, by the time they face Sundowns.

Should Wiliete advance and be drawn against the champions, the tie will decide which club reaches the CAF Champions League group stage.

Sundowns’ early scouting reflects the level of attention being given to their attempt to retain the continental title. As the highest-ranked club in the CAF five-year ranking, they have been granted a later entry point, but their preparations have already started.