Hertha BSC vs Mamelodi Sundowns

Hertha BSC took the lead through midfielder Jensen in the 39th minute, finishing after a scramble in the Sundowns box. The 2. Bundesliga side had created several earlier chances — including a shot from Sebastian Grönning deflected wide and a Mathe Winkler strike ruled out for offside — but found the breakthrough with six minutes of the first half remaining.

Sundowns responded almost immediately. Norawana, back at the club after a loan spell at the University of Pretoria, equalised in the 41st minute to restore parity before the interval, according to the match report from SuperSport.

The provider data confirms no further goals or cards were recorded in the second half, with both sides making wholesale changes. Sundowns fielded three of their FIFA World Cup 2026 participants — Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena and Iqraam Rayners — in the first half, with Khuliso Mudau, Ronwen Williams and Themba Zwane starting on the bench. The Brazilians changed their entire XI at the break, as is typical in early pre-season fixtures.

The match's decisive phase came in a frantic three-minute window either side of the 40th minute. Hertha's opener forced Sundowns to respond immediately, and the fact that they did so — through a full-back who spent last season on loan in the South African second tier — spoke to the depth of Manqoba Mngqithi's squad. After Norawana's equaliser, both teams largely cancelled each other out, with the second half playing out without major incident.

Leon Jensen (Hertha BSC) — The midfielder took his chance sharply in the box to open the scoring and was involved in much of Hertha's best attacking work in the first half.

Akhanyile Norawana (Mamelodi Sundowns) — Back at Sundowns after his loan spell at the University of Pretoria, the full-back produced a composed finish to equalise and offered solid defensive cover.

Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns) — One of three Sundowns World Cup participants in the starting XI, the midfielder dictated the tempo during the opening 45 minutes.

The 1-1 scoreline with both goals inside a three-minute window reflects the nature of a first pre-season friendly: sharpness was intermittent, and both sides used the match primarily for fitness. Hertha had the better of the early chances — including a disallowed goal and a Grönning shot saved — but Sundowns' ability to strike back immediately demonstrated their counter-attacking threat. The absence of any cards suggests a disciplined, controlled contest, as expected in a pre-season opener.

For Hertha BSC, who finished seventh in the 2025/26 2. Bundesliga — 19 points off champions Schalke — this was their first public pre-season outing. They open their competitive campaign away at VfL Bochum on 7 August 2026, followed by a DFB Cup first-round tie at 1. FC Saarbrücken on 22 August, per the club's official fixtures.

For Mamelodi Sundowns, the reigning CAF Champions League holders, this was the first match of their Austrian pre-season tour. The trip was delayed by the shock death of midfielder Jayden Adams, which forced the squad to postpone their departure from 10 July until after Adams' memorial service, SuperSport reported. They arrived in Austria on Friday 17 July, and a planned friendly against Salzburg was subsequently called off. Sundowns face their second friendly of the tour on Friday 24 July against four-time Asian champions Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia.

Sundowns relinquished their PSL title to Orlando Pirates in 2025/26 after eight consecutive league championships, but enter the new season as Africa's reigning club champions.

A typical first pre-season friendly: sharp in patches, heavy on substitutions, and ultimately settled by a brief burst of goals. Hertha will take confidence from creating chances against a side of Sundowns' calibre, while the South Africans' rapid response showed the resilience that has defined them domestically and in Africa. Both sides got what they needed from the 90 minutes — minutes in legs, with no injuries reported.