USM Alger Stun Sundowns 3-1 to Win Second CAF Super Cup

USM Alger stunned hosts Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday, November 8, to lift the CAF Super Cup 2026 for the second time in their history.

It was supposed to be a coronation for Sundowns. The South African champions, fresh from winning the 2025/26 CAF Champions League, were playing at home and chasing a chance to hold both the Champions League and Super Cup at the same time. Instead, USM Alger, the CAF Confederation Cup holders, produced a clinical, fearless and well-planned performance to spoil the party.

USM Alger started like a team with nothing to lose. After just four minutes, Ahmed Khaldi drove down the right wing and cut the ball back for Zakaria Draoui to fire home and silence the home crowd. It was the perfect start, and it set the tone for the whole game.

Sundowns responded in the 25th minute. After a VAR review for handball by Achref Abada, Iqraam Rayners calmly converted from the penalty spot past Oussama Benbot to make it 1-1. For a moment, it looked like the home team would take control.

But the Algerians were not done. In the 37th minute, Saadi Radouani restored their lead, punishing more slack defending from Sundowns. It was the first time Sundowns had conceded twice in the first half of a home CAF fixture in five years, and it showed how sharp USM Alger were on the day.

The second half was delayed by around 30 minutes after a heavy downpour in Pretoria left the pitch waterlogged. When play finally resumed, USM Alger killed the game in style.

In the 55th minute, Khaldi, already the architect of the opener, picked up the ball on the right wing, cut inside, and curled a superb shot past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams into the far corner. It was the goal of the game and the moment the trophy was decided.

Sundowns pushed for a comeback, with Williams and Teboho Mokoena both returning from injury, but they could not break down a disciplined and organised USM defence. Every time they tried to build pressure, USM Alger stayed calm, stayed compact, and closed the spaces.

For USM Alger, this is history. They are now the first Algerian club to win the CAF Super Cup twice, adding the 2026 title to their 2023 triumph over Egyptian giants Al Ahly. They qualified for this final by beating Zamalek on penalties to win last season's CAF Confederation Cup.

The win also continues a remarkable trend: Confederation Cup winners have now claimed four of the past five CAF Super Cups, with Egypt's Pyramids FC the only Champions League holder to win in that run.

For Sundowns, it is a second continental blow in just 17 days. They won the Champions League last season by beating Morocco's AS FAR in the final, but have since been knocked out of this season's competition before the group stage. Missing out on the Super Cup means they also missed the chance to replicate the famous Class of 2016, who held both trophies at once.

USM Alger pocketed $500,000 as winners, while Sundowns took home $250,000 as runners-up.

For USM Alger, the focus now returns to domestic football and defending their Confederation Cup crown with renewed confidence and momentum. For Sundowns, the focus is on regrouping, fixing defensive lapses, rediscovering their ruthless edge, and proving that Sunday in Pretoria was just a blip, not the start of a decline.