Mamelodi Sundowns will face Pitso Mosimane’s former side Al Ahli Saudi FC in the Intercontinental Cup for a chance to lift their next international trophy.
Masandawana qualified for the tournament after winning the CAF Champions League last season. It guaranteed a spot in the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup, as well as this year’s Intercontinental Cup.
The first opportunity to lift silverware will be the so-called FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup, where they will face Al Ahli after they beat Auckland FC 1-0 in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific play-off on Wednesday.
Sundowns will now host Mosimane’s former side – who have won the AFC Champions League back-to-back – on 19 September in Pretoria.
The winner will not only be crowned the winner of the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup, but also move onto the next phase of the Intercontinental Cup, the so-called FIFA Challenger Cup.
In the FIFA Challenger Cup, the winner of the FIFA Derby of the Americas would await, with Concacaf champions Toluca set to face the yet-to-be-determined CONMEBOL Libertadores winners.
The winners of the FIFA Challenger Cup will then take on UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain to battle it out for the FIFA Continental Cup trophy.
Last season, PSG beat Brazilian giants Flamengo on penalties.
This new format of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup was introduced in 2024, “with winners from each of the six confederations given the chance to compete on the global stage on an annual basis,” as per FIFA.