Brayan Leons goal and Miguel Cardosos treble as Mamelodi Sundowns progress
Leon saw his 35th-minute penalty saved by the visiting goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said, yet he quickly reacted to the rebound to secure a 1-0 victory at home at Loftus Versfeld.
Leon had netted the sole goal in last Sundays initial match in Tunis, and the 2-0 overall success ensures Sundowns advance to the final for the second year running.
A fourth final appearance
Sundowns have made it to the Champions League final on four occasions and now aim for a second star to display above their emblem.
They were defeated by Al Ahly in the 2001 showdown, prior to their memorable victory over Zamalek in the 2016 final.
Manager Miguel Cardoso might still puzzle over their defeat to Pyramids in last years two-part final, yet they now have an opportunity to rectify that in the 2025/26 campaign, knowing that nothing short of the trophy will suffice.
Leon nets once more
Sundowns earned the penalty following a throw-in returned to Ben Said, where the goalkeeper was caught off guard while attempting to clear, as Leon charged in, touched the ball first, before the keeper contacted him during his clearance attempt. VAR confirmed it, although it possibly overlooked the ball also striking Leons arm, but only after Ben Saids touch.
Leon has now scored 10 times in 11 starting appearances, and across 19 games in total, providing excellent value for The Brazilians.
He shares the position of second-top scorer in this seasons Champions League, trailing only Al Ahlys Trézéguet.
Limited opportunities
Sundowns prompted multiple strong stops from Ben Said, whereas Esperance came nearest to levelling just before the interval, with a shot off the feet of French forward Florin Danho hitting the Sundowns crossbar.
Overall, the hosts managed five efforts on target compared to Esperances two, and they also controlled the ball with 58% possession.
Managers treble
Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso is en route to his third consecutive Champions League final, his second with Sundowns, having previously fallen short with Esperance to Al Ahly in 2024.
The Portuguese becomes the first manager to guide Sundowns to multiple finals and holds an unbeaten record across his six encounters between the clubs.
During his time at Esperance, he overcame Sundowns both home and away in the 2024 semi-final, and last season steered Sundowns to a 1-0 home triumph and a 0-0 away stalemate against the Tunisian outfit in the quarter-finals. Each of Cardosos five victories in this matchup has ended 1-0.
Who will Sundowns face next?
They await either Moroccos Royal Armed Forces or Renaissance Berkane, who clash later on Saturday, with the military team leading 2-0 from last weekends opening leg in Rabat.
Royal Armed Forces advanced to the quarter-finals last term but fell to Pyramids, who claimed the trophy over Sundowns. The Moroccan outfit lifted the former Champions Cup in 1985.
Renaissance Berkane are entering the Champions League for the first time this term but boast three African Confederation Cup triumphs already.
Club World Cup spot
The Champions League champions secure entry to the next Club World Cup in 2029. Four African sides will feature in the event, whose venue remains undecided.
The continents representatives will comprise the title holders from each Champions League between 2025 and 2028. Thus, Pyramids have qualified, with the subsequent three victors also joining, offering substantial financial rewards.
Should any team secure multiple titles across those four events, spots will go to the highest-ranked performers over the period, as seen with how Sundowns and Esperance earned places for last years United States Club World Cup.