Sundowns receive FIFA clearance on yellow cards before Challenger Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns will have no outstanding booking concerns from their African-Asian-Pacific Cup victory when they play in the Challenger Cup, following confirmation of FIFA’s disciplinary regulations.

Teboho Mokoena, Nuno Santos and Brayan Leon were all shown yellow cards during Sundowns’ match against Al Ahli. However, those cautions will not affect the club’s participation in the next stage of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026.

The bookings also mean Sundowns avoided FIFA fines of USD10 000 (approximately R164 000). Under the FIFA Legal Handbook September 2026 edition, a team can be fined that amount for each yellow card if five or more of its players are cautioned in one match.

Mokoena and Leon had also carried yellow cards from the Champions League into the competition. Those previous cautions were cancelled because they could not be served during the relevant confederation’s tournament.

The regulations state that “single yellow cards and pending suspensions that could not be served during the confederation’s competition are not carried over to the Intercontinental Cup 2026”.

Their bookings against Al Ahli, along with Santos’ caution, will now also be removed under Article 8.3 of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026 regulations.

It states: “Single yellow cards shall be cancelled after M3 of the Intercontinental Cup 2026.”

Route to the Challenger Cup

Match 3 of the tournament is the Derby of the Americas, involving CONCACAF champions Toluca FC and the winners of CONMEBOL’s premier club competition, the Copa Libertadores.

The Copa Libertadores has reached its semi-final stage, with three Brazilian clubs – SE Palmeiras, CR Flamengo and Fluminense FC – still competing alongside Argentina’s Estudiantes de La Plata.

The first legs produced a draw between Estudiantes and Flamengo, while Fluminense lost 2-1 at home to Palmeiras. The final is scheduled for November 28 in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.

Sundowns will enter Match 4, where they will face the winner of the Derby of the Americas in the Challenger Cup.

The winner of that contest will then meet UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

Matches 3, 4 and 5 will all be played at neutral venues in December. Those fixtures are likely to take place in Qatar.