Morocco midfielder Karim Benarif backs FAR Rabat to secure CAF Champions League title

Morocco midfielder Karim Benarif has thrown his weight behind FAR Rabat to annex the 2025/26 CAF Champions League title despite first-leg setback to Mamelodi Sundowns.

The South African giants made their home advantage count, cruising to a 1-0 victory over the Moroccan football powerhouse at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

The breakthrough came in the 37th minute when defender Aubrey Modiba scored the decisive goal to hand the South African champions the lead.

Speaking to Hesport, the midfielder backed his former employers to succeed over Sundowns in the CAF’s elite club competition final.

“As a Moroccan, I hope the title stays in Morocco and that FAR Rabat succeeds in the final,” he said.

AS FAR Rabat will take encouragement from the narrow margin of defeat, knowing that the tie is still very much alive heading into the decisive second leg on home soil.

With just one goal separating the teams, everything is to play for in next Sunday’s return fixture in Morocco.

Mamelodi Sundowns will travel with confidence but also awareness that the final is far from decided, while AS FAR Rabat will aim to respond in front of their supporters in what promises to be a dramatic conclusion to the continental showdown.