The road to continental glory is never smooth, and Mamelodi Sundowns have learned that the hard way. The Brazilians have safely arrived in Morocco for their highly anticipated CAF Champions League final second-leg clash against AS FAR, but only after enduring a high-stakes logistical nightmare mid-air.
Masandawana departed from OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday morning on a chartered flight—despite not holding an official permit to land in Rabat.
Saved in Gabon: A Mid-Air Rescue
The audacious travel plan relied heavily on a refueling stop in Libreville, Gabon, giving club administrators a tight window to resolve the bureaucratic red tape with Moroccan aviation authorities.
Senior Sundowns administrator Yugesh Singh confirmed that the crucial landing permit was finally granted a nerve-wracking 45 minutes before the plane touched down in Gabon. With the paperwork secured, the team proceeded to Rabat, landing late Wednesday night before making a 90-minute road trip to their base camp.
The Double-Glory Permutation Weekend
Now safely at their training base, coach Miguel Cardoso’s men can fully shift their focus to one of the biggest weekends in the club’s modern history.
Sundowns head into the intimidating cauldron of Morocco holding a slender 1-0 aggregate lead. After suffering a heartbreaking defeat in the final last season, the Pretoria giants are determined to finish the job on hostile territory and hoist their second star.
Remarkably, the club could achieve an unprecedented double-success weekend without kicking a ball domestically:
Match Details:
- Fixture: AS FAR vs Mamelodi Sundowns (CAF CL Final, 2nd Leg)
- Date: Sunday, 24 May 2026
- Kick-off Time: 21:00 SAST
- Aggregate: Mamelodi Sundowns lead 1-0
