CAF Probes Fan Violence at Sundowns vs Esperance Match

CAF to Investigate Sundowns, Esperance After Fan Violence at Champions League Clash

Pretoria, April 2, 2025 
Mamelodi Sundowns and Esperance de Tunis may face severe disciplinary action from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following chaotic scenes of violence involving fans of both clubs during the first leg of their CAF Champions League quarter-final match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa.

The highly anticipated match ended in a narrow 1-0 victory for Sundowns, with Namibian striker Peter Shalulile scoring the decisive goal in the 54th minute after a precise assist from Jayden Adams. However, the post-match celebrations were marred by altercations between opposing supporters, erupting immediately after the final whistle.

The cause of the violent outbreak remains unclear, but eyewitnesses reported that several individuals sustained minor injuries. Thanks to the swift intervention of police and stadium security, the situation was quickly brought under control before it could escalate further.

Notably, amid the unrest, one Sundowns supporter was seen assisting a fan from the rival Esperance side who was precariously dangling from a support beam in one of the stadium’s stands. Images have since emerged showing Esperance fans gathered under heavy security in the center of the pitch after the incident — an effort aimed at shielding them from retaliation by Sundowns fans.

CAF's disciplinary regulations for fan misconduct include fines ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, and in some cases, penalties may extend to hosting matches behind closed doors. This sets the stage for potential sanctions against both clubs, depending on the findings of the forthcoming investigation.

Such penalties are not without precedent. In January this year, CAF sanctioned Simba SC with a $40,000 fine and ordered the club to play one CAF Confederation Cup match behind closed doors. This followed violent conduct by Simba fans directed at CS Sfaxien supporters during their December 15, 2023, encounter at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, where Simba secured a 2-1 win through goals from Kibu Denis.

The incident in Pretoria highlights ongoing challenges with crowd control at high-stakes African club fixtures and places the spotlight back on CAF’s disciplinary framework as the tournament progresses.