From the first whistle at Loftus Versfeld, Mamelodi Sundowns played with the conviction of a team intent on shaping the narrative of this season’s CAF Champions League. A 3 to 1 victory over Saint-Éloi Lupopo did more than open the group stage with three points, it restored a familiar swagger, it set a tone, and it reminded the continent that the Brazilians know how to bend tense afternoons to their will.
Santos leads a flying start at Loftus
There was elegance in the simplicity of the opener. Miguel Reisinho lifted an exquisite pass over the top and Nuno Santos, alive to the opportunity, spun and finished beyond Simon Omossola with just four minutes gone, a strike that announced the Portuguese winger as the day’s leading man. The early breakthrough reflected Sundowns’ intent, their tempo never dipped, their movement looked rehearsed and ruthless.
Chances flowed before the break, yet a second goal proved elusive. Tashreeq Matthews blazed over from inside the box and Iqraam Rayners could not convert from close range, moments that kept Lupopo within reach even as Sundowns controlled territory. Matthews then rose to meet another delightful ball from Reisinho, his header shaved the crossbar, the margin between comfort and concern hung on a few inches.
Football’s timing can be cruel. On the stroke of half time, Ramos Kashala met a cross from the right and his first time effort squeezed inside Ronwen Williams’s near post, a reminder that one lapse can redraw an entire contest. The goal briefly unsettled Sundowns, yet there was no panic, just a refocus and a renewed grip on the rhythm after the interval.
On the hour, Marcelo Allende’s timing in a crowded penalty area made the difference, the Chilean guided a left footed strike into the bottom corner to restore the lead. With Lupopo forced to chase, spaces opened and the hosts’ combinations began to bite again. When substitute Arthur Sales floated a lobbed cross into the box with 13 minutes remaining, Santos rose and powered home a thumping header for his brace, a finish that carried the authority of a player in full flow.
The former Vitória de Guimarães man even flirted with a hat trick late on, lifting a presentable chance over the bar. By then, the statement had been made, Sundowns had found the blend of precision and patience that defines serious contenders, and the afternoon belonged to a performer who took his moments without fuss.
Cardoso’s satisfaction and the art of managing moments
Coach Miguel Cardoso did not miss the symbolism of a fast start. Last season’s early stutter, two draws from two, lingered in memory and the new campaign demanded a different cadence. The 3 to 1 win delivered exactly that, and it came with an undercurrent of tactical maturity that pleased the bench as much as the scoreboard did.
“It’s important to start with a victory, you remember last year when I arrived here, it was two matches played with one point,” Cardoso recalled. “It’s tough if you lose matches against teams that theoretically you should beat at home. That lack of points can haunt you a little bit later in the competition.”
Cardoso’s analysis reached beyond the final score. The tie kicked off at 3 pm in taxing heat and he highlighted the need to ride out the dips that are inevitable across ninety minutes. It was a nod to the human side of elite sport, a recognition that even the best cannot push at full throttle from start to finish and that the smartest teams know when to slow the pulse and keep the ball.
“You also need to understand that playing matches like this at 3 pm and in such heat is not easy with an opponent that is used to playing at that time,” he said. “You have to understand that players are human and they cannot maintain their effort in the same level for 90 minutes. We need to be wise enough to know how to deal with the moments where we can’t push more and the capacity to hold the ball more so that our recovery process happens while we’re still playing.”
Allende’s call for focus as Group C opens up
The broader picture in Group C shifted before Sundowns even took to the field. MC Alger, coached by former Sundowns boss Rulani Mokwena, fell 2 to 1 to Al Hilal in Kigali at Amahoro Stadium due to instability in Sudan, a fiery clash that blew the group wide open and presented a chance to take early control. Allende understood the opportunity and, more importantly, the danger of thinking too far ahead.
“I think we know how to get to the final. I will repeat what the coach said that we need to take it game by game and the most important one is this weekend,” Allende said.
His words resonated after the win, because the temptation to gaze toward May often trips up sides with serious ambitions. Allende underlined the simple truth, that you only arrive in the showpiece if you stack results, one by one, across gruelling months. It was a leadership note from the midfielder as he scored and then urged restraint in the conversation around targets.
Modiba embraces the reunion with Mokwena and the road ahead
Next comes a stern test in Algeria, and Aubrey Modiba did not hide the personal subplot. Facing Mokwena promises a warm handshake before kickoff, then nothing but hard edges once the whistle goes. Sundowns’ left winger was candid about that balance between affection and ambition, a candid perspective that mirrors the professionalism within the dressing room.
“We had a very good relationship with the coach and it will be a nice feeling to play against him because it has never happened before and everyone is looking forward to the game,” Modiba said. “But we’re professionals. We have to do what we have to and make sure we win the game. We know how he plays so it will be a tough game for us in Algeria.”
Modiba also praised the second half response against Lupopo after conceding in a critical phase, a lapse he said is not acceptable at Sundowns. He welcomed the clean stretch after the break, the added goals, and the resolve to lock the door at the back, a template they will try to carry into difficult away conditions across the continent.
“It was important to win the first game at home because away games are never easy,” he added. “They are played in difficult conditions and pitches but we don’t complain or dwell on that because we have been in the Champions League for so long and we know what to expect. So, winning at home gives us an edge going into other games, especially away from home.”
What the win means for Sundowns
Sundowns sit on top of Group C, ahead of Al Hilal, and with a psychological edge strengthened by a bright opening to the round robin phase. The contrast with last season’s hesitant beginning is stark, and the implications are equally clear as the calendar tightens and margins narrow.
- Early momentum matters, three points in the bank turn down the pressure in a tricky group,
- attacking fluency is emerging, with Nuno Santos and Marcelo Allende providing end product at key moments,
- discipline on the road will define the ceiling, starting with a demanding trip to MC Alger.
The human dimension within those bullet points is significant. Confidence is not just a mood, it is a multiplier, it lifts touches, it speeds decisions, it breeds trust between lines. Conversely, the memory of letting points slip at home can gnaw at belief, Cardoso’s squad has already taken a step to silence that voice.
The human edge behind the numbers
Much will be written about shapes and statistics, yet this opening weekend also offered glimpses of character. Santos, finding space and seizing it with a calm instinct, looked like a player living fully in the moment, a teammate trusted to turn clever passes into goals. Allende, guiding a finish through traffic, then guiding the narrative back to patience, embodied a core leadership thread that spreads quiet assurance around a group.
Reisinho’s clipped delivery for the opener showed the value of vision. Arthur Sales’s measured cross for the third goal showed the value of depth. Williams, beaten at the near post before the break, and the defenders in front of him, responded with the kind of clean handling and concentration after half time that champions rely on. There was a collective sense of accountability, the kind that travels well when the stadiums turn hostile.
Group C context and a measured outlook
The table is only one week old, yet the contours are already intriguing. MC Alger’s defeat to Al Hilal has altered the early map, a reminder that reputation does not win points and that the grind of continental travel levels many battles. Sundowns, widely tipped to challenge again after narrowly losing to Pyramids FC in last season’s final, understand that pedigree merely sets an expectation that must be met repeatedly.
Cardoso has leaned into that reality, speaking of tough away assignments and the need to be wise in-game. Modiba has accepted the emotional nuance of meeting a mentor, then setting that aside for competition. Allende has distilled the goal into a simple sequence, win the next match, then win the next after that, only then do dreams of the latter stages become solid.
Looking ahead to Algeria
The trip to face MC Alger will test Sundowns’ composure and their adaptability. The crowd will be demanding, the tempo will spike, and the tactical chess match with Mokwena’s approach will require patience along with punch. The players have already acknowledged the difficulty of North African away days, yet they speak of experience and preparation, and that combination is often decisive.
For now, Sundowns carry a win that blends technique with temperament, a performance that pleased a coach who has been preaching fast starts and smart control of the game’s ebbs and flows. The numbers say 3 to 1 over Saint-Éloi Lupopo and top of Group C, the feeling around Chloorkop says something deeper, that this was a platform built with care, resolve and a little bit of joy.
There are many miles to go, many sprints and many pauses to be managed along the way. If the opening act is any guide, Sundowns are prepared to live in those moments, to keep their heads when the heat bites at 3 pm, and to trust that their habits will carry them toward the finish line they seek.
