MC Alger coach Rulani Mokwena will be on the opposite side of the pitch against his former employers Mamelodi Sundowns after the two sides were drawn in the same CAF Champions League group.
The green and red will meet the Brazilians in Group C, alongside Al Hilal (Sudan) and St Éloi Lupopo from Sudan and DR Congo, respectively.
The 2025/26 CAF Champions League group stage draw took place at the studios of CAF Broadcast Partner, SuperSport in Johannesburg on Monday.
It has been over a year since Mokwena exited Sundowns’ base at Chloorkop and this will be the first time he meets the Tshwane side out on the pitch.
Meanwhile, a thrilling rematch between reigning champions Pyramids FC of Egypt and Moroccan giants RS Berkane will also be one to watch in Group A.
RS Berkane and Pyramids FC, winners of last season’s CAF Confederation Cup and CAF Champions League respectively, renew rivalries after their recent CAF Super Cup clash that was won 1-0 by Pyramids.
Nigeria’s Rivers United and Zambia’s Power Dynamos complete a compelling quartet.
Record 12-time winners Al Ahly anchor Group B, where they meet Tanzania’s Young Africans, Moroccan champions AS FAR, and two-time African champions JS Kabylie, a pool steeped in history and rivalry.
Four-time winners Espérance de Tunis headline Group D, alongside Simba SC, Petro de Luanda and Stade Malien, setting up heavyweight duels across the competition.
The group stage will kick off on the weekend of 21–23 November 2025, with two matchdays to be played before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.
The competition will then pause during the continental showpiece and resume on the weekend of 23–25 January 2026.
Group A: RS Berkane (Morocco), Pyramids FC (Egypt), Rivers United (Nigeria), Power Dynamos (Zambia)
Group B: Al Ahly (Egypt), Young Africans (Tanzania), AS FAR (Morocco), JS Kabylie (Algeria)
Group C: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Al Hilal (Sudan), MC Alger (Algeria), St Éloi Lupopo (DR Congo)
Group D: Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Simba SC (Tanzania), Petro de Luanda (Angola), Stade Malien (Mali).
