From penalty error to history: Divine Lunga reflects on winning CAF Champions league medal

‘Even with some mistakes, we overcame them, by God’s grace,’said Divine Lunga after Mamelodi Sundowns sealed the 2025/26 CAF Champions League title despite his second-leg penalty error.

Lunga joined Chris Samakwere, Khama Billiat and Cuthbert Malajila as Zimbabweans who have lifted the CAF Champions League trophy so far.

Retired former Monomutapa FC star Samakwere won it with TP Mazembe in 2010. Khama Billiat and Cuthbert Malajila won the title with Mamelodi Sundowns during the 2015/16 season under veteran South African coach Pitso Mosimane.

And Lunga became the fourth Zimbabwean to win the title when Mamelodi Sundowns sealed the 2025/26 edition on Sunday. It wasn’t all smooth for the talented left-back in the second leg of the final at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium. He conceded a penalty that allowed AS FAR to level the tie.

Mamelodi Sundowns held their nerve to edge AS FAR 2-1 on aggregate on Sunday, sealing it with a 1-1 draw. Masandawana took a 1-0 advantage into the return leg.

AS FAR leveled the tie late in the first half when Mohamed Hrimat converted a penalty after Lunga fouled Reda Slim. But Sundowns answered immediately, on the stroke of halftime, when Teboho Mokoena scored a screamer.

EVEN WITH SOME MISTAKES, WE OVERCAME THEM SAYS LUNGA

Lunga breathed a huge sigh of relief after the win, which sees him enter an elite class of Zimbabwean stars with a CAF Champions League medal. Reflecting on the triumph, Lunga was on cloud nine and heaped praise on coach Miguel Cardoso:

“All I can say is, he’s a good coach. Even the coach I found here has been good for us. I think it was just a matter of time. He knows how to play his cards, and we’re happy today. Congratulations to him and to us as players.

“I think listening to the coach is the best way to achieve things. If we didn’t listen, we wouldn’t be here right now, cherishing our hard work.

“That’s the main thing — listen to the coach, understand how he wants to play, and then make the game go how we want it to. We did that as players. Even with some mistakes, we overcame them, by God’s grace,” Lunga said.

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