Sundowns Beat Al Ahli 2-1 to Advance in Intercontinental Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Al Ahli 2-1 on Saturday to win the FIFA Intercontinental Cup playoff and advance to the tournament's next round. The South African club, representing Africa, secured the victory at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria. Portuguese midfielder Nuno Santos scored both goals for Sundowns. He opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a header from a Teboho Mokoena cross. Al Ahli equalized just two minutes later when Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams inadvertently knocked the ball into his own net after saving an initial shot from Firas Al-Buraikan. Santons secured the win in the 80th minute with a diving header from a cross by debutant Thabang Matuludi. The result means Sundowns also lifted the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup. Sundowns will now face either Mexican club Toluca or the Copa Libertadores champions in the Intercontinental Cup playoff. The winner of that match will advance to the final to face European champions Paris Saint-Germain, who are directly through to the title decider. FIFA has not yet announced the dates or venue for the remaining matches of the competition. The Intercontinental Cup final is scheduled for December.