USM Alger won their second CAF Super Cup with a 3–1 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Ahmed Khaldi created the opening goal and scored the third as the Algerian club overcame a penalty equaliser and a rain-delayed restart. The result adds to USM Alger's 2023 Super Cup win against Al Ahly and brings a $500,000 winner's prize confirmed by African football's governing body.
An early strike puts USM Alger in control
USM Alger turned a match between Africa's two reigning continental champions into a test of whether Mamelodi Sundowns could recover from an immediate setback. The Algerian visitors needed only four minutes to score at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Ahmed Khaldi advanced from the right, beat a challenge and sent a low delivery into the area, where Zakaria Draoui finished from close range. The opening goal set the terms of the contest: Sundowns would need to take risks in possession, while USM Alger had the advantage of a lead to protect and spaces to attack.
That opening also introduced Khaldi as the decisive figure of the afternoon. His contribution was not confined to the final touch that appeared later in the scoreline; he helped create the first goal and repeatedly troubled the home side's defence. Sundowns were playing in Pretoria after winning the 2025–26 CAF Champions League, but hosting the Super Cup offered no protection against the visitors' energetic start. USM Alger had arrived as CAF Confederation Cup holders, and their early precision made the distinction between the competitions irrelevant on the pitch.
Sources: USM Alger stun Mamelodi Sundowns to win CAF Super Cup for second time · USM Alger stun hosts Mamelodi Sundowns to win African Super Cup · African Champions Mamelodi Sundowns and USM Alger set for TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup in Pretoria, South Africa on Sunday · Sundowns fall to USM Alger in CAF Super Cup
A penalty equaliser, then a second Algerian lead
Sundowns' preparations were further disrupted by injuries. According to CAF's match account, midfielder Nuno Santos was hurt during the warm-up and Brayan León was forced off early in the first half. León's replacement, Iqraam Rayners, soon gave the hosts a route back into the match. After a video review of a handball incident, Sundowns were awarded a penalty. Rayners converted in the 25th minute, beating USM Alger goalkeeper Oussama Benbot to make it 1–1. The substitution had unexpectedly provided the equaliser, but it did not settle the contest.
The South African side then threatened to go ahead. Thapelo Morena connected with a delivery into the area, only for Benbot to make a significant save. Within minutes, the visitors regained their advantage from a set piece. An initial header following a corner struck the crossbar; captain Saadi Radouani reacted to the rebound and headed home. CAF records the goal in the 37th minute, giving USM Alger a 2–1 half-time lead. The sequence captured the difference between having a promising spell and turning it into a lasting advantage.
Sources: USM Alger stun Mamelodi Sundowns to win CAF Super Cup for second time · Sundowns fall to USM Alger in CAF Super Cup
Rain delays the restart before Khaldi decides it
Heavy rain interrupted the afternoon in Pretoria, delaying the start of the second half by roughly half an hour, according to Reuters and South African broadcaster SuperSport. By then, Sundowns had already changed personnel and surrendered the lead twice. The pause did not produce the response the hosts needed. Ten minutes after play resumed in the second period, Khaldi cut inside from the right near the edge of the penalty area and curled a shot past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. The 55th-minute goal extended USM Alger's advantage to 3–1 and left Sundowns facing an increasingly difficult recovery.
Williams subsequently kept the score from growing, saving efforts as the visitors continued to attack the spaces behind Sundowns. The home side did get the ball into the net late on, but the effort was ruled out after officials determined the ball had gone out of play earlier in the move. There was no further change to the score. CAF's final record lists Draoui at four minutes, Rayners from the penalty spot at 25, Radouani at 37 and Khaldi at 55. These confirmed details matter more than the competing minute-by-minute descriptions in some live reports.
Sources: USM Alger stun Mamelodi Sundowns to win CAF Super Cup for second time · USM Alger stun hosts Mamelodi Sundowns to win African Super Cup · Sundowns fall to USM Alger in CAF Super Cup
The second Super Cup, with a 2023 precedent
The victory is USM Alger's second CAF Super Cup title. The club's previous triumph came on 15 September 2023, when it defeated Egypt's Al Ahly 1–0 in Saudi Arabia through a penalty converted by Zinedine Belaid. That result was the club's first victory in this particular competition; Pretoria added a second, rather than establishing a new first-time winner. The distinction is straightforward in CAF's historical reports and is central to the meaning of Sunday's result. USM Alger have now beaten two different Egyptian and South African giants in their Super Cup successes.
This latest opportunity came from a separate competition. USM Alger won the 2025–26 CAF Confederation Cup by beating Zamalek on penalties after the two-legged final ended level on aggregate. Sundowns qualified by winning the 2025–26 CAF Champions League against Morocco's AS FAR. The Super Cup brings those two titleholders together, but its result does not retrospectively change either side's earlier continental trophy. CAF notes that Confederation Cup winners have captured four of the past five Super Cups, a useful recent pattern rather than a guarantee about future finals.
Sources: USM Alger stun Mamelodi Sundowns to win CAF Super Cup for second time · African Champions Mamelodi Sundowns and USM Alger set for TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup in Pretoria, South Africa on Sunday · Superb USM Alger stun Al Ahly to clinch maiden CAF Super Cup · How USM Alger reached the 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup
Sundowns' continental setback is larger than one match
For Mamelodi Sundowns, the final arrived during a difficult shift in continental fortunes. Their Champions League victory over AS FAR had secured the place in this one-off fixture, but they were subsequently eliminated from the 2026–27 Champions League during qualification by Angola's Wiliete SC. That means the defending continental champions will not take part in this season's group stage. Sunday's defeat therefore compounds a recent elimination; it does not mean the club has lost the 2025–26 Champions League title it already won. Both results belong to different competitions and different stages.
Coach Miguel Cardoso also had to manage the disruption of two injury-related changes around the start of the game. Rayners' goal briefly restored parity and Benbot was made to intervene when the hosts threatened a second, yet Sundowns could not turn possession and opportunities into a durable lead. They also faced a visitor capable of scoring from open play and a corner. The 3–1 scoreline reflects a contest with an equalising moment and a weather delay, not an uninterrupted procession from the opening whistle.
Sources: USM Alger stun Mamelodi Sundowns to win CAF Super Cup for second time · USM Alger stun hosts Mamelodi Sundowns to win African Super Cup · African Champions Mamelodi Sundowns and USM Alger set for TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup in Pretoria, South Africa on Sunday · Sundowns fall to USM Alger in CAF Super Cup
A financial reward and another chapter for N'Diaye
CAF had announced a $500,000 payment for the winner and $250,000 for the runner-up before the match, and confirmed USM Alger's winner's award in its post-match report. Those amounts are the stated competition prizes, not a measure of either club's total revenue from the occasion. The result also highlights the sustained contribution of coach Lamine N'Diaye, who took charge of USM Alger in February 2026 and led the side to the Confederation Cup title before adding the Super Cup. His earlier work included TP Mazembe's 2010 Champions League success and its 2011 Super Cup win.
The club's immediate achievement is clear: a second Super Cup trophy, secured away from home with three different scorers and Khaldi involved directly in two goals. For Sundowns, the task is to respond to a defeat that follows their early exit from the current Champions League. For both sides, Sunday's final illustrates how quickly a knockout contest can turn on a fast opening goal, a brief equaliser and an efficient finish after an interruption. The trophy and its financial award belong to USM Alger; broader judgments about the two clubs' coming seasons will require more matches.
Sources: USM Alger stun Mamelodi Sundowns to win CAF Super Cup for second time · USM Alger stun hosts Mamelodi Sundowns to win African Super Cup · African Champions Mamelodi Sundowns and USM Alger set for TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup in Pretoria, South Africa on Sunday · TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup – USM Alger looking for another title · Lamine NDIAYE – TP Mazembe staff biography and honours
