CAFCL: MC Alger receive rousing send-off for Sundowns blockbuster

Mouloudia Club d’Alger (MC Alger) supporters gave the Algerian Ligue 1 champions a rousing send-off on Tuesday when they left for South Africa ahead of Saturday’s crunch CAF Champions League (CAFCL) tie against Mamelodi Sundowns.

There was a parade of cars loaded with fans hooting and waving flags. Firecrackers exploded and smoke billowed in the sky while others sang and danced as Rulani Mokwena and his charges left Adul Rahman Auf-Baba Hamoud Centre heading to the airport.

🤳 | هكذا غادر وفد المولودية مركز “عبد الرحمن عوف – بابا حمود” متجهًا نحو المطار تحسبا لسفرية جنوب إفريقيا.
🗣️ | تحفيزات قوية من أنصار العميد 🔥#𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍𝑬𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒔𝑪𝑨𝑭𝑪𝑳#نادي_مولودية_الجزائر 🟢🔴 pic.twitter.com/vO1jb8otlr

— Mouloudia Club d’Alger (@THEDEAN1921) February 10, 2026

The fans thronged MC Alger’s base to not only offer moral support, but also signify the importance of the Group C decisive match which neither side can afford to lose.

The group remains open with only three points separating leaders Al Hilal Omdurman from bottom-placed FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo. The leaders from Sudan are one point ahead of the second-placed MC Alger who, too, are only separated by a similar point from Sundowns lying third.

Group C remains wide open for quarterfinal race

Victory for Mokwena-led team will see them through to the next round regardless of the outcome of Al Hilal versus Lupopo tie, while eliminating Sundowns from the quarterfinal race.

On the other hand, three points for the 2024-2025 Champions League finalists will be enough to see them across the line, effectively ending the journey for the Algerian champions.

Therefore, a draw will be not be enough to take MC Alger into the quarterfinals as their maximum tally will then be eight points, at par with leaders Al Hilal who, boasting a superior goal-aggregate, can still proceed even if they lose at home to Lupopo.

A loss for MC Alger ends their campaign instantly while gifting the Pretoria-based giants a safe passage to the last-eight stage with the Al Hilal versus Lupopo result having no bearing.