- Here is the ES Tunis vs Mamelodi Sundowns prediction article which breaks down form, key players and H2H meetings ahead of the clash.
- The match will be staged at the Stade Olympique de Rade on Sunday April 12, 2026.
- Kickoff is at 10:00pm EAT.
Esperance Tunis host South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the CAF Champions League on Saturday night, in what is expected to be a thrilling encounter at the Stade Olympique de Rades in Tunis.
The hosts arrive at this semi-final having announced themselves as genuine title contenders with the most impressive run of the 2025-26 CAF Champions League season, eliminating record 12-time champions Al Ahly with a 4-2 aggregate victory in the quarter-finals, winning both legs.
That result came under French coach Patrice Beaumelle, who was appointed in February 2026 on a contract through June 2027, taking over from the dismissed Maher Kanzari following a turbulent period that had included an early group-stage loss to Stade Malien.
In Tunisian domestic football, Esperance sit top of the Ligue Professionnelle 1, level on points with Club Africain but ahead on goal difference.
They bring a rich vein of current form, unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions heading into this first leg.
They are the hottest side in northern Africa and will draw serious belief from the memory of their home victories over Sundowns in the 2023-24 semi-finals.
On the other hand, Mamelodi Sundowns advanced to their fourth consecutive semi-final despite suffering a 2-0 defeat away to Stade Malien in Bamako.
The South African side relied on their commanding 3-0 first-leg victory in Pretoria to secure a 3-2 aggregate triumph.
Cardoso’s side head into this game sitting top of the Premiership with 55 points and a two-point lead over Orlando Pirates.
In addition, this encounter has a lot on the line, as Miguel Cardoso makes his return to Rades for the first time as an opposition coach, facing the club he guided to a Champions League final in 2024 before being recruited to Pretoria, where his success has continued under the Masandawana banner.
Here are the key details for the Esperance Tunis vs Mamelodi Sundowns CAF Champions League semi-final clash, along with some betting tips for your wager on Sportpesa.
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What time does Esperance Tunis vs Mamelodi Sundowns kick off?
The two will lock horns on Sunday, April 12, at the Stade Olympique de Rades in Tunis, with kick-off slated for 10 PM EAT.
Esperance Tunis vs Mamelodi Sundowns team news
Esperance will be missing several key players, including forward Youcef Belaili, who has been ruled out with a serious knee injury.
Meanwhile, defender Yassine Meriah, is continuing his recovery from cartilage surgery and remains absent from the squad.
Algerian winger Boualia is out with a heel injury, and forward Jebali is also doubtful with back and ankle issues this being a very big attacking double blow for Beaumelle.
For the visitors, the big news is that Aubrey Modiba is definitely out after picking up a red card in the second leg of the quarter-final against Stade Malien and has to serve a suspension.
On top of that, both Nuno Santos and Peter Shalulile are listed as injury doubts for this one.
The Portuguese winger Santos and Namibian striker Shalulile could both be missing, which is far from ideal for the visitors.
Esperance Tunis vs Mamelodi Sundowns head-to-head record
Esperance and Sundowns have met 10 times in the CAF Champions League proper, with the Tunisians holding the overall advantage, having won three, drawn two, and lost one of the most recent six encounters.
This is the third successive season in which these two clubs have faced each other in the knockout rounds of Africa’s most prestigious club competition.
Back in the 2024-25 quarter-finals, Cardoso, now Sundowns’ coach, pulled off a 1-0 first-leg win at Loftus Versfeld, with Shalulile bagging the only goal in the 54th minute.
The second leg in Rades finished 0-0, so Sundowns held on to go through 1-0 on aggregate. Cardoso partly put that down to knowing the Rades setup well from his time coaching the home side.
ES Tunis vs Mamelodi Sundowns prediction
The winner of this semi-final will face either AS FAR Rabat or RS Berkane in the final, with an all-Moroccan affair producing the other finalist, giving Sundowns in particular the tantalizing prospect of a route to the title that does not involve the Egyptian clubs who have denied them in each of the past two finals.
This is a match where it’s tough to pick a clear winner. With Esperance at home, they are definitely the slight favorites to pick a slight win, but Mamelodi Sundowns will be hoping to put themselves ahead going into their own home leg, and thus will be aiming to win as well.