CAF Champions League
Djibouti’s Arta Solar battle Dekedaha as CAF Champions League kicks-off
Arta Solar 7 FC will kick start their 1st preliminary round of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League against Dekedaha SC on Friday at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The Djibouti Premier League reigning champions Arta Solar are hosting the match in Tanzania because they have no accredited Stadium by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) back in Djibouti.
Arta Solar who are not new to the continental stage will however be a much changed team after the departure of some players including Yacouba Songne.
The Somalia champions Dekedaha SC come into the match with a lot of confidence having played in the recent CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Cup losing two matches to Coastal Union FC (Tanzania) and Al Wadi (Sudan), before beating JKU SC from Zanzibar.
Nigerian import Samuel Adepoju Oluwaseum and Nur Irad Abdullahi are expected to lead the Dekedaha SC team.
On Saturday more teams from the CECAFA Zone will be in action as SC Villa (Uganda) hosts Commercial Bank of Ethiopia at the newly renovated Mandela Stadium, Namboole.
Burundi Premier League champions Vital’O will host Young Africans SC (Tanzania) at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam, while Sudan’s Al Merriekh face Al Nasi away in Libya.
South Sudan’s Al Merriekh Bentiu (South Sudan) will host Kenyan champions Gor Mahia FC on Sunday. The other matches to be played the same day will see Azam FC host Rwanda’s APR FC, Al Hilal (Sudan) play away to Al Ahly Benhazi in Libya, and JKU SC (Zanzibar) taking on Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt.
CAF Champions League
Sudan’s Al Hilal, Simba SC book CAF Champions League group stage slots
Two more teams from the CECAFA Zone have joined Young Africans SC to qualify for the group stage of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Tanzania Premier League side Simba SC defeated 15 de Agosto 3-0 in the return leg of the second preliminary round played on Sunday at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Anicet Oura, Elie Mpanzu and Kelestso Makgalwa netted second half goals to guide Simba SC to victory. The Tanzanian side qualified on a 9-0 goal aggregate.
Sudan’s Al Hilal SC also stopped Sidama Bunna (Ethiopia) 2-0 in a match played at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Ernest Muzolo Sita gave Al Hilal a first half lead, and skipper Mohamed Abdelrahman made it 2-0 at the stroke of half time. The Sudan side qualified on a 4-0 goal aggregate.
Another Sudan side El Merrikh failed to see off Horoya AC on Saturday. After losing the first leg 1-0, the Sudan team won by the same margin, but lost 5-3 on penalty kicks.
Rwanda’s APR FC lost 1-0 away to Zamalek FC (Egypt) in a match played on Saturday. APR FC bowed out on a 2-0 goal aggregate.
South Sudan Premier League reigning champions El Merriekh SC Bentiu also suffered a 4-0 defeat away to Pyramids FC in Cairo on Saturday to bow out on a 5-0 goal aggregate.
The other teams that have qualified to complete the line up of sixteen teams include; Club Africain, Esperance (Egypt), RS Berkane, MAS de Fes (Morocco), Colombe Sportive (Cameroon), FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania), Horoya AC (Guinea), MC Alger (Algeria), Orlando Pirates (South Africa), Petro Atlético (Angola) and Wiliete SC (Angola).
Results for CECAFA teams
Simba SC 3 15 de Agosto 0
Zamalek FC 1 APR FC 0
Pyramids FC 4 El Merriekh SC Bentiu 0
Al Hilal SC 2 Sidama Bunna 0
El Merrikh 1 Horoya AC 0
Young Africans SC 4 CFFA 1
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CAF Champions League
Young Africans SC first team to qualify for CAF Champions League group stage
Tanzania’s Young Africans SC are the first team to qualify for the group stage of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The Tanzanian giants defeated CFFA (Madagascar) 4-1 in the return leg of the second preliminary round in a match played on Wednesday at Azam Complex in Chamazi, Dar es Salaam.
After a 4-0 win in the first leg and a convincing win in the second leg, Young Africans SC have qualified on an 8-1 goal aggregate.
Ibrahim Kazimoto scored the opener after 27 minutes to give the home side the lead. A second-half brace by Selemani Mwalimu made it 3-0 for Young Africans, before CFFA pulled a goal back after 75 minutes. Later teenager Juma Issa Abushuri scored Young Africans 4th goal.
Manqoba Mngqithi, Young Africans SC’s head coach says he is happy to qualify for the group stage of the competition. “I am happy that we are through to the group stage and now we return to the drawing board to prepare for other matches in the bust season,” says Mngqithi.
In another CAF Champions League match played in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, Simba SC humbled 15 de Agosto 6-1 in the delayed first leg of the second preliminary round.
Ibrahim Doumbia netted a brace, while Nathaniel Chilambo, Elie Mpanzu, Keletso Makgalwa and Anicet Alain Oura scored for the Tanzanian Premier League side. The Equatorial Guinean team netted a consolation goal in added time.
The other second leg matches involving teams from the CECAFA Zone will be played over the weekend. Rwanda’s APR FC will play away to Zamalek, El Merriekh SC Bentiu will battle Pyramids FC, while Al Merrikh (Sudan) host Horoya Ac, all on October 24th.
On Sunday Al Hilal (Sudan) will host Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna in Kigali, while Simba SC play the return leg against 15 de Agosto also in Dar es Salaam.
CAF Champions League
Al Hilal, Young Africans SC pick vital wins in CAF Champions League
Two teams Al HIlal and Young Africans SC are the only two teams that have registered wins in the first legs matches of the second preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Sudan giants Al Hilal SC defeated hosts Sidama Bunna (Ethiopia) 2-0 in a match played at the Dire Dawa Stadium on Sunday.
Al Hilal took the led after 11 minutes when the hosts netted an own goal, and skipper Mohamed Abdelrahman at the stroke of full time.
Another match played on Sunday, Sudan Premier League side Al Merrikh SC suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Horoya Athletic Club in a match played at the 28 September Stadium, in Conakry, Guinea.
On Saturday Tanzania Premier League side, Young Africans SC also registered an emphatic 4-0 away win over Madagascar’s CFFA.
Young Africans SC took the lead after 39 minutes through Cheikh Touré, while Albert Kangwanda made it 2-0. Mudathir Yahya and Maxi Nzengeli also got their names on the score sheet.
Rwanda’s APR FC and El Merriekh SC Bentiu (South Sudan) suffered identical 1-0 home defeats to Egyptian sides Zamalek FC and Pyramids respectively on Friday.
Tanzania’s Simba SC will face 15 de Agosto (Equatorial Guinea) on October 20th at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam. The two legs will be played in Tanzania. The winners of matches in the second preliminary round over two legs will qualify to play in the 16 team group stage.
Results for CECAFA Teams
APR FC 0 Zamalek 1
El Merriekh SC Bentiu 0 Pyramids FC 1
CFFA 0 Young Africans SC 4
Sidama Bunna 0 Al Hilal SC 2
Horoya AC 1 Al Merrikh 0
CAF Champions League
Red hot Simba SC thrash Mighthy Wanderers in CAF Champions League
Tanzania Premier League side Simba SC have advanced to the second preliminary sage of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Simba SC thrashed Mighty Wanderers FC 6-1 in the second leg of the first preliminary round played at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.
Clatous Chota Chama and Libasse Gueye scored a brace each, while Matiala Keletso Makgalwa and Morice Michael Abraham also had their names on the score sheet for Simba SC. Clement Nyondo netted the only goal for the Malawi Premier League side.
Simba will now face the winner between 15 de Agusto and Fumboni FC.
Another Tanzanian side Young Africans SC struggled to collect a 2-1 win against Gaborone United FC in a match played on Saturday at the Azam Complex.
Young Africans who advanced on a 3-2 goal aggregate will next face CFFA from Madagascar in the second preliminary round in October.
After drawing goalless in the first leg Sidama Bunna from Ethiopia defeated Aiglons 3-0 on Sunday. The Ethiopian side will now face Sudan’s Al Hilal SC in the second preliminary round in a battle of CECAFA teams.
On Sunday CECAFA teams KVZ FC (Zanzibar), Vipers SC (Uganda) and Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC all failed to advance to the next stage of the competition.
Al Merrikh (Sudan) who ejected Zambia’s Power Dynamos 2-0 on aggregate will now face Horoya AC in the next stage,
Rwanda’s APR FC who saw off DR Congo’s Les Algles du Congo 3-1 on aggregate will now face Zamalek FC. The Egypt side ejected AS Port (Djibouti) 6-1 on goal aggregate.
South Sudan’s El Merriekh SC Bentiu who saw off Heegan FC (Somalia) 4-0 on goal aggregate will now face Pyramids in the next round.
In other matches played on Sunday, KVZ FC suffered a 3-0 defeat at home in Zanzibar, while Pyramids FC humbled Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) 5-1 to qualify on a 7-1 goal aggregate. Vipers SC who had managed a 1-1 draw in Kampala bowed out after the return leg ended goalless against FC Nouadhibou in Mauritania.
Second preliminary round fixtures for CECAFA teams
CFFA vs Young Africans SC
APR FC vs Zamalek FC
El Merriekh SC Bentiu vs Pyramids FC
Sidama Bunna vs Al Hilal SC
Horoya AC vs Al Merrikh
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