Rhulani Mokwena's unbeaten record ended! MC Alger start CAF Champions League Group C campaign with defeat ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns showdown

Al Hilal went ahead through their captain Abdelrazig Omer who beat the half-time whistle to hand his side the lead in this CAF Champions League Group C encounter.  

But eight minutes into the second half, MC Alger equalised, thanks to the hosts' defender Mustafa Karshom, deflecting into his own net a shot by MC Alger's Oussama Benhaoua for an own goal.

However, with 15 minutes remaining, Mohamed Abdelrahman reclaimed the lead for Al Hilal and the visitors did not manage to come back.

Even after the Sudanese giants were reduced to 10 men with four minutes to go following a red card to Salaheldin Alhassan, MC Alger could not take advantage of that.

It was Rhulani Mokwena's first defeat as the Algerian giants' head coach, having enjoyed a bright start in this job.

In the 13 matches, Mokwena has been in charge, he has recorded eight wins, four draws and a defeat. 

Just like during his time at Mamelodi Sundowns, Mokwena is under immense pressure to deliver the CAF Champions League trophy for MC Alger.

The Algerian champions are still haunted by last season’s quarter-final exit, and interestingly, they were eliminated by Orlando Pirates. 

Having taken over before the start of this campaign, Mokwena inherited a team that already had ambitions to do better than last term, in which they also won the Algerian Ligue 1. 

The expectations are even heavier on the former Masandawana coach given that MC Alger last lifted the Champions League in 1976, a drought that their supporters feel has gone on far too long.  

With such history and ambition weighing on his shoulders, Mokwena knows anything short of the continental title will be seen as failure.

To make it critical for him, he is at a club that has little patience with their coaches and do not hesitate to part ways. 

Mokwena and MC Alger will now regroup and try to atone for Friday’s defeat when they host Mamelodi Sundowns in their second Group C clash in seven days' time.  

It will mark the first time Mokwena faces Masandawana since he left Chloorkop before the start of last season. 

The encounter promises intrigue as the 38-year-old comes up against the majority of players he is familiar with. 

It will also serve as a reunion between Mokwena and Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso, renewing a rivalry first sparked in the 2023/24 Champions League semi-finals.  

On that occasion, Cardoso, then in charge of Esperance, got the better of Mokwena who would now want to avenge in this highly anticipated showdown.

Also, the need to recover from the Al Hilal setback will push MC Alger in their backyard and before their demanding fans.

“Mamelodi Sundowns have more heritage than us in the group, but we also understand that we have all the conditions to make a very good run in the Champions League," Mokwena recently told the media.  

“We have an incredible stadium with an incredible fan base; we have an incredible facility and incredible staff. We have a hard-working and ambitious group that has a lot of experience from last season's Champions League.

“I am happy with the team we have; we are improving, we are working very hard, and we understand the challenge.

“We are not wet behind the ears and naive; we approach the Champions League with a lot of humility, understanding that this is the fifth time the club is in the Champions League group stages.  

“The last four times we were in the group stages, we progressed twice out of the group, and we progressed twice out of the group having only finished second in the group, and in the times we’ve progressed, we’ve only been able to win two games out of six, so on one hand, this gives us a lot of motivation."