Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has called on his team to show their "proof of character" against AS FAR in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday, 17 May.
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Kick-off is at 4pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).
Current form:
The Brazilians have one last chance to finish the season with silverware after seeing their Betway Premiership title hopes suffer a blow with a 3-2 defeat to TS Galaxy on 12 May.
It was Bafana Ba Style's final league outing of the campaign and they remain three points clear of Orlando Pirates, who still have two games left to play and only need one win to dethrone the defending champions.
Masandawana haven't been at their best on the continent this term either, winning just two of their six matches in the group stages and losing 2-0 to Stade Malien in the second leg of the quarterfinals.
Cardoso's side then beat his former employers ES Tunis 1-0 both home and away to reach the final for the second year in succession.
Al-Zaeem are making only their second appearance in the final of Africa's elite club competition, having won the African Cup of Champions Clubs all the way back in 1985.
The Moroccan outfit have already delivered a few surprises after they held African powerhouses Al Ahly to two draws in the group stages before eliminating holders Pyramids in the last eight.
Alexandre Santos' side tasted defeat for only the second time in 14 games when they were beaten 1-0 by Botola Pro rivals RS Berkane in the second leg of the semifinals, but a 2-0 victory in the first leg was enough to see them through to a historic final.
WHAT WAS SAID:
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso
"The season is not over. The season still has two more matches to be played. It's now time to get the energy as soon as possible for the weekend.
"The boys are surely going to show another proof of character. We'll try to recover them as much as possible so that they can produce a good match in this Champions League final."
AS FAR head coach Alexandre Santos
"Pressure exists in every final, but it can become a positive motivation. We are working on keeping the players calm and focused, while approaching the match with great confidence and respect for the opponent, without fear.
"When you reach the final, it means you deserve to be there... and we will enter the match looking for a positive result."
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Mamelodi Sundowns - Brayan Leon has enjoyed a superb start to his career at Chloorkop since making the switch from Independiente Medellin in January, scoring 15 goals in 24 appearances across all competitions for the Brazilians, including five in the Champions League. The 25-year-old Colombian striker netted in both legs of the semis and could still finish top scorer in the competition as he's just one goal behind Al Ahly's Trezeguet.
AS FAR - Santos will be looking to the experience of Reda Slim to help his team achieve their dream. The 26-year-old winger is nearing the end of his season-long loan from the Red Eagles and has been in this situation before after winning the title in 2023-24. He has only scored one goal in Africa this season, but it was an important one as they defeated Pyramids 2-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinals.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
Matches - 2
Sundowns wins - 0
AS FAR wins - 0
Draws - 2