Colombian Brian Leon, the South African Mamelodi Sundowns striker, confirmed his team's readiness to participate in the upcoming confrontation against Al-Ahly Saudi Arabia, next Saturday in Pretoria, as part of the Africa and Asia-Pacific Cup, which qualifies for the next stage of the 2026 Confederations Cup.
Leon said, in an interview with the official FIFA website, that he was experiencing a state of calm before the match, and did not feel any pressure on a personal level, indicating that the true sense of the scale of the confrontation would appear as its date approached.
The Colombian striker added: “I feel very calm on a personal level, and I do not suffer from any pressure at all,” before explaining: “There is no need for us to impose pressure on ourselves. That feeling will come the day before the game, or on our way to the stadium. “This is the kind of pressure needed, that spark that ignites your enthusiasm.”
Sundowns are counting on Lyon, who joined the team last January from Deportivo Independiente Medellin, after becoming one of the most prominent elements of the South African team and contributing to their winning the African Champions League title.
Lyon scored five goals during Sundowns' continental journey towards the African title, while his total goals with the team reached 18 goals in 35 matches, giving his team a prominent offensive option before facing Al-Ahly.
Regarding facing Al-Ahly and the prominent names that the Saudi team has, including Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Turkish defender Merih Demiral, Portuguese Francisco Trincao, and English striker Ivan Toney, Lyon stressed that Sundowns is well aware of the scale of the challenge.
He said: “We are well aware of the level of players they have, the strength and depth of their squad, as well as the quality and potential they possess.”
He added: “They are the champions of Asia and we are the champions of Africa, and they also think of us in the same way.”
The confrontation holds special importance for the two teams, as each of them seeks to continue their journey in the tournament, after Al-Ahly secured its position as champion of the AFC Champions League, while Sundowns enters the match as the holder of the African Champions League title.
Lyon does not view the confrontation with Al-Ahly as a final stop; The Sundowns striker is looking forward to continuing the journey and facing one of the Latin American clubs in the next stage, whether it is a Mexican team like Toluca or the Copa Libertadores champion.
He said in this regard: “This match will mean a lot to me. We will face a strong and experienced competitor in the finals.”
He explained that football in South America is very different from the way it is practiced and lived in the African continent, considering that facing one of the clubs in the region will be “a very exciting football occasion.”
Lyon pointed out that Sundowns had previously experienced this type of competition during its participation in the 2025 Club World Cup, when it faced Brazilian Fluminense, stressing that qualifying for the next stage and meeting one of those clubs “will represent a tremendous achievement.”
Sundowns and Al-Ahly are awaiting Saturday’s confrontation in Pretoria, amid shared ambitions to cross the continental test, in a meeting that brings together the African and Asian champions and puts the Saudi football experience in front of the strength of the South African team that is crowned continental champion.
On Tuesday, Saudi clubs will complete their appearance in the first round of the elite AFC Champions League with two heavy-caliber matches, as Al-Hilal begins its continental journey by hosting Al-Gharafa of Qatar at the “Kingdom Arena” stadium in the capital, Riyadh, while Al-Nasr returns to the tournament through a difficult test outside its home ground against Al-Ain of the Emirates at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.
The two confrontations carry great ambitions for Al Hilal and Al Nasr, as the former returns to the tournament with the bitterness of exiting in the round of 16 last season in his memory, while the latter marks his return to the “Elite” after missing its previous edition due to his participation in the AFC Champions League 2, placing the continental title among his most prominent goals this season.
In Riyadh, Al Hilal begins its journey against Al Gharafa and is in a high technical and morale state, especially after the strong reaction it showed in the last round of the Saudi Professional League when it swept Al Taawoun 6-0.
The broad victory quickly returned Al Hilal to the path of victories, and confirmed the extent of the offensive power possessed by Italian Simone Inzaghi before moving to the continental battle.
The moment of farewell to the last edition of the tournament is not forgotten in Inzaghi’s memory, when Al Hilal’s journey ended in the round of 16 against Al Sadd of Qatar on penalty kicks, an end that makes the team enter the new edition with a double desire to present a different journey and reach the final stages.
Al Hilal has a clear advantage on paper, starting with the ground staff and the crowd, all the way to a list full of stars and various offensive options that have made the difference in the recent period.
Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli leads these names after he stole the show by scoring a hat-trick in the six-team collaboration, along with Englishman Ollie Watkins and Dutchman Summerville, while Serbian Sergei Savic and Portuguese Ruben Neves give the team great weight in the midfield, along with a number of local elements such as Mendash and Mohamed Kanno.
Stability in terms of names remains one of Al-Nasr’s most prominent weapons, with the presence of Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo at the forefront of the offensive options, along with his compatriot Joao Felix, who represents one of the team’s most important cards, and Senegalese Sadio Mane, at a time when the absence of Frenchman Kingsley Coman is expected to continue due to injury.
The 8 Gulf teams are entering the final stage of their preparations to participate in the 27th edition of the “Arabian Gulf Football Cup - Gulf 27”, which is hosted by the Saudi city of Jeddah for the first time in the history of the tournament, during the period from September 23 to October 6, 2026, amid disparities in preparation programs between foreign camps, local gatherings, and friendly matches.
