Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa host Algeria’s USM Alger in the CAF Super Cup on Sunday as they bid to lift the trophy for the second time following their previous success in 2017.
The Super Cup has traditionally been dominated by North African sides, who have lifted the trophy in 24 of the previous 34 editions.
Sundowns will be looking to buck that trend but face a USM side who were winners as recently as 2023.
In fact, since Sundowns were champions nine years ago, the title has been won by a North African team every season.
The Pretoria club will hope to secure a third title for South Africa after Orlando Pirates were also crowned champions in 1996.
That would take South Africa joint third on the list of winning countries, behind runaway leaders Egypt (14) and Morocco (5). Tunisia and DR Congo also have three titles each.
In fact, clubs from only nine nations have won the Super Cup since it was first introduced in 1993, when Africa Sports of Côte d’Ivoire became the inaugural champions by beating Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca on penalties.
It will come as no surprise that Africa’s Club of the Century, Al Ahly, are the competition’s most successful side with eight titles, three more than Egyptian rivals Zamalek, who have five. Al Ahly have also appeared in a record 12 finals.
But Zamalek have the best record among clubs with at least five final appearances, winning five of their six.
DR Congo’s TP Mazembe are third on the all-time list with three titles, secured in 2010, 2011 and 2016.
Étoile du Sahel (Tunisia), Raja Casablanca (Morocco) and Enyimba (Nigeria) are all two-time winners, with both Sundowns and USM Alger hoping to join them this weekend.
A total of 18 different clubs have won the competition in the previous 34 editions.
Apart from Pirates and Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs are the only other South African club to have appeared in the final, finishing runners-up to Al Ahly in 2002.
USM Alger won on their only previous appearance three years ago, beating an Al Ahly side featuring Percy Tau 1-0 in a surprise result in Saudi Arabia.
Enyimba won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005, as did Al Ahly in 2006 and 2007, TP Mazembe in 2010 and 2011, and Al Ahly again in 2013 and 2014.
Two editions were staged in 2021 following scheduling disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Al Ahly winning both under current Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane.
Pyramids were crowned champions last year after beating Moroccan side RS Berkane 1-0. The Egyptians had earned their place by defeating Sundowns in the 2024/25 CAF Champions League final.