Al-Hilal handed South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns a major blow in Group C of the CAF Champions League after securing a crucial 2–1 victory on Friday night in Kigali.
The Matchday 4 encounter, played at the Amahoro Stadium, was decided by moments of composure and clinical execution from the Sudanese champions, who punished Sundowns’ defensive lapses to move top of the group at the halfway stage.
Al-Hilal broke the deadlock deep into first-half stoppage time when referee Mahmoud Nagy awarded a penalty following a costly error by veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango. Forward Mohammed Abdel Rahman showed composure from the spot, sending Onyango the wrong way to give his side a deserved lead at the interval.
The Sudanese side maintained their momentum after the restart and doubled their advantage four minutes into the second half. Jean Claude Girumugisha pounced on a loose ball at the edge of the area and fired a low strike past Onyango, compounding Sundowns’ discomfort.
Sundowns responded by raising the tempo and pulled one back shortly after the hour mark. Brazilian substitute Arthur Sales finished calmly from inside the box to reignite hope for the South African champions and set up a tense closing spell.
Despite sustained pressure, Sundowns were unable to force an equaliser as Al-Hilal defended with discipline and game management, slowing the tempo at key moments to preserve their advantage.
The result sees Al-Hilal climb to eight points and take sole control of Group C, while Sundowns remain second on five points and now face added pressure in the remaining fixtures to secure qualification.