Sudanese giants Al-Hilal climbed to the top of Group C after beating Sundowns 2-1 in Kigali. Miguel Cardoso’s men controlled possession early and tried to dictate the tempo with confident passing. However, Al-Hilal stayed calm and compact. They looked sharp and direct whenever they won the ball. Both sides struggled to create clear chances in the final third during the opening exchanges.
Sundowns produced the first real opportunity after 15 minutes. Miguel Reisinho won the ball high upfield and released Tahsreeq Matthews. Matthews raced through on goal, but Farid Ouedraogo reacted quickly to make a close-range save. Al-Hilal slowly grew into the contest and began testing Denis Onyango from distance. Mohamed Abdelrahman and Abdel Raouf fired shots from range, but Onyango handled them comfortably.
Momentum shifted late in the half as Al-Hilal pushed Sundowns deeper into their own half. Their pressure paid off in stoppage time when Onyango fouled Abdel Raouf inside the box. Abdelrahman stepped up and calmly converted the penalty to give Al-Hilal a 1-0 lead.
Second-half surge changes the game
Al-Hilal started the second half with intent and struck early to extend their lead. Jean Claude Girumugisha found space outside the box and curled a low shot into the corner. Cardoso responded by introducing Arthur Sales at halftime to inject fresh energy. He followed that with a double substitution as Divine Lunga and Peter Shalulile entered the field.
The changes immediately lifted Sundowns’ intensity and attacking movement. Sales reduced the deficit after reacting quickly to a loose ball inside the area. He drove forward and beat Ouedraogo with a clinical finish for his second goal against Al-Hilal. Sundowns pushed forward with urgency and searched desperately for an equaliser.
Shalulile nearly scored late on after meeting a low cross from Sales. Ouedraogo denied him at close range as Al-Hilal defended bravely until the final whistle. The result sees Al-Hilal move above Sundowns to claim top spot in Group C.
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