Morocco’s AS FAR will host Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of the 2025/2026 CAF Champions League final in Rabat on Sunday, needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Pretoria.
AS FAR have an excellent home record in the competition and in front of a packed Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, will be confident they win. They have played 29 home games in the CAF Champions League since the start of the 2005 edition, losing only three.
They were beaten 1-0 by CS Sfaxien in the second round in 2006 and then lost 1-0 to Etoile du Sahel in a group-stage clash in 2007. Their only defeat since then was a 2-1 loss against Etoile in the second round in 2023.
They have claimed 18 wins and eight draws in the other fixtures over the past 21 years, which includes a 1-1 stalemate with Sundowns in the group stages in 2024.
That has been the only visit by the South African side in the past. AS FAR have hosted 16 teams from outside North Africa in that time and claimed 13 wins and three draws, the others being against Heartland of Nigeria (2009) and Real Bamako of Mali (2014).
“The most important thing is that we go to our home confident of getting the result and scoring the goals to win the title and fight until the end,” AS FAR coach Alexandre Santos said. “We know we have our fans and our style of play, and anything is possible.”
“All the players in the team realise that we have a real opportunity to face Sundowns and achieve what we want, which is to score, turn the result around and snatch the title. That is the most important thing.”
“I say to our loyal fans, thank you for your continued support in all circumstances. You are our true source of strength, and we promise that we will fight with spirit and responsibility to make you happy and honour the Royal Army jersey,” he stressed.
