Five Reasons Why Sundowns Lost CAF Super Cup - Misfortune, Errors and Poor Team Selection

Ralph Staniforth

Editor

Last updated: 09 Nov 2026

Share

Ralph Staniforth 09 Nov 2026

Share this article

Sundowns lost 3-1 to USM Alger in the CAF Super Cup final.
Defensive mistakes and injuries to key players disrupted their performance.
Selection decisions and lack of sharpness from returning players also contributed.

Mamelodi Sundowns were below par in Sunday's CAF Super Cup defeat to USM Alger (Getty Images).

Mamelodi Sundowns suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to USM Alger in the CAF Super Cup final. The loss exposed several weaknesses in the Brazilians' performance.
Underestimating USM Alger
Cheap Goals Conceded
Injury Setbacks Disrupted Downs
Mokoena and Williams Lacked Sharpness
Starting Morena Over Ndlovu Was Questionable

From defensive errors to questionable selection decisions, there were plenty of reasons behind their defeat. Here are five factors that contributed to Sundowns coming up short.

Underestimating USM Alger

Sundowns may have underestimated the challenge posed by USM Alger. Their last CAF Champions League appearance before this season was in 2019/20, and they finished 10th in the Algerian Ligue 1 last season.

However, USM Alger were not a team to be taken lightly. They were the reigning Confederation Cup champions and showed their quality, discipline and ability to punish Sundowns.

Cheap Goals Conceded

Sundowns' defensive errors were arguably the biggest difference between the teams. For the first goal, Khaldi dribbled past Khulumani Ndamane too easily, while the defenders failed to track the runners, allowing Draoui to score.

The second goal exposed more poor defending. Ndamane lost the header, while Morena and Khoza were caught sleeping. For the third, Khaldi cut inside from the left, Modiba's poor footwork allowed him space, and Ndamane was slow to react. These were cheap goals to concede in a final.

Injury Setbacks Disrupted Downs

Sundowns suffered two major setbacks, starting with Nuno Santos' injury during the warm-up. Mailula had to come into the starting line-up before Brayan León was forced off early with an injury.

The loss of León meant Rayners had to come on much earlier than planned. Cardoso also lost two potential impact options, disrupting his plans to change the game from the bench.

Mokoena and Williams Lacked Sharpness

Teboho Mokoena and Ronwen Williams did not look particularly sharp. Both players had recently returned from injury-related absences, raising questions about their match fitness.

Sundowns needed their experienced players to deliver in such an important match. Williams could arguably have done better with the third goal, while Mokoena struggled to impose himself on the game.

Starting Morena Over Ndlovu Was Questionable

Cardoso's decision to start Thapelo Morena ahead of Siyanda Ndlovu was questionable. Morena had a golden opportunity to score but failed to convert from close range.

Ndlovu eventually came on at half-time, offering a different attacking option. Given the need for energy and creativity, there is a strong argument that he should have started instead.

Ralph Staniforth is a South African sports journalist, editor and betting writer who has worked in sports media since 2012.

With a background in Sports Science, he has covered a wide range of sports and interviewed leading players and coaches across South African rugby, cricket and football.

His sports betting work covers both South African and international markets, combining his knowledge of sport with extensive experience analysing fixtures, teams, form and betting markets.

Ralph specialises in football and rugby, while also covering cricket, tennis and golf. His work includes match previews, betting tips, betting guides and broader analysis of the sports betting industry.

You can find more from Ralph at Muckrack and LinkedIn.