Mokwena: Al Hilal home result will define value of upcoming SA trip

By Velile Mnyandu
6th February 2026

When MC Alger travels to South Africa in a week’s time to play Mamelodi Sundowns, head coach Rulani Mokwena says he will not be taking his players on a safari, but to Pretoria to collect three points.

That match will be the final CAF Champions League group-stage encounter, and to remain competitive until then, the Algerians must beat Sudanese side Al Hilal tonight. MC Alger are tied on four points with St Eloi Lupopo and just a point behind Sundowns. Mokwena says a win is a must tonight.

"We need to keep trying, keep going, and give ourselves a chance to qualify for the next round when we travel to South Africa," said Mokwena

"Otherwise, it would be nice to take the players on a nice safari. But I don't want to be taking the players to South Africa to go meet my family and friends — we want to go there to get three points."

Last weekend, the Algerian champions registered their first win in the group stages, beating Lupopo 1-0 at home. Mokwena says they have also had a good week of preparation.

Mokwena’s team has not had a good start to the tournament, losing two of their first three matches, and at some stage it seemed almost mission impossible to reach the knockout phase. The former Sundowns coach was philosophical in describing the second chance they are getting.

"Life hope is very important, and sometimes the hope you carry in football comes through your experiences. For example, there are many people outside of football who are facing very difficult circumstances, and they come to a match of their favourite club," he added.

"After the first three games in the Champions League, maybe everybody says the team is out, but after 90 minutes there is a light at the end of the tunnel. That hope which happens in football represents a hope that could happen in someone's life."

Al Hilal are three points clear at the top, and a win tonight will see them seal their place in the quarterfinals, and that’s where the focus of their head coach, LaurenÈ›iu Reghecampf is.