Mamelodi Sundowns have arrived safely in Rabat, Morocco ahead of Sunday’s CAF Champions League final second leg against AS FAR. The Brazilians refused to use the bus provided by the host club and arranged their own transport. Image: tumsangm on X
Mamelodi Sundowns have arrived safely in Rabat, Morocco ahead of Sunday’s CAF Champions League final second leg against AS FAR. In a notable show of independence, the Brazilians refused to use the bus provided by the host club and arranged their own transport from the airport.
Mamelodi Sundowns have touched down in Rabat, Morocco ahead of Sunday’s CAF Champions League final second leg against AS FAR at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The South African giants arrived safely but wasted no time in making a statement refusing to board the bus provided by host club AS FAR and instead travelling in their own independently arranged transport.
The decision by the Brazilians to arrange their own bus is widely understood as a deliberate precautionary measure by Sundowns’ management to maintain full control of the team’s environment, logistics and security in what is expected to be an intensely hostile atmosphere in Rabat. More than half a million AS FAR supporters reportedly queued for tickets to Sunday’s second leg, which sold out immediately after the first leg result.
Taking No Chances
Sundowns head into the second leg holding a narrow but crucial 1-0 advantage from the first leg at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria last Sunday, where Aubrey Modiba’s stunning free-kick proved the difference between the two sides. The first leg was also marred by serious crowd trouble involving AS FAR supporters, with SAPS officers forced to fire spray canisters at the visiting contingent in the stands.
Given those events, Sundowns’ decision to control every aspect of their own logistics in Morocco is a prudent and professional one. The club has left nothing to chance in its preparation for what promises to be one of the most hostile environments any South African club has faced in recent CAF competition history.
What Is at Stake
Sundowns are chasing their second CAF Champions League title since their historic 2016 triumph under Pitso Mosimane. AS FAR last won the continental title in 1985 and are desperate to end a 41-year wait on home soil in front of what will be an enormous and passionate crowd. The second leg takes place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday 24 May 2026.
Editors Note All information in this article is based on reports from the Sundowns travelling party in Rabat as at 21 May 2026.