CAF Champions League
Al Hilal coach coach happy to collect away point against Sundowns
The head coach of Al Hilal SC, Laurențiu Reghecampf has said he is glad his team picked a point in a Group C match away to Mamelodi Sundowns last weekend.
Al Hilal battled with a man less to pick a 2-2 draw at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
Abdelrazig Omer Taha gave the Sudan giants the lead after 15 minutes, but Arthur de Oliveira Sales leveled matters 10 minutes later.
In the second half Teboho Mokoena scored to put the home side ahead after 64 minutes, but Taha equalized for Al Hilal SC
The Sudan side finished with 10-men after substitute Emmanuel Flomo was shown a straight red card for an elbow on a Mamelodi Sundowns player.
“I think it’s a good result for us, we didn’t keep well in defence, small mistakes that’s why we conceded the first goal, we didn’t take advantage after taking the lead, that’s why I’m happy with the 2-2 draw, because Sundowns fought back,” he said.
“You must understands Sundowns and Al Hilal are two best teams in the group. Now we must prepare well when we host Mamelodi Sundowns on January 30th,” added the coach.
Al Hilal and Mamelodi Sundowns are level on five points each after three game played in Group C, while St Eloi Lupopo have 4 points, and MC Alger 1 point.
In the other matches played last week CECAFA teams Young Africans SC and Simba SC suffered away defeats.
Young Africans SC suffered a 2-0 Group B defeat away to giants Al Ahly in Egypt, while Simba SC were also stopped 1-0 by Esperance in a Group D match played at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Tunis.
Group B
P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Al Ahly 3 2 1 0 7 2 5 7
Yanga 3 1 1 1 1 2 -1 4
AS FAR 3 0 2 1 1 2 -1 2
JS Kabylie 3 0 2 1 1 4 -3 2
Group C
P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Sundowns 3 1 2 0 5 3 2 5
Al Hilal 3 1 2 0 5 4 1 5
Lupopo 3 1 1 1 3 4 -1 4
MC Alger 3 0 1 2 1 3 -2 1
Group D
P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Stade Malien 3 2 1 0 4 1 3 7
Esperance 3 1 2 0 2 1 1 5
P. De Luanda 3 1 1 1 2 3 -1 4
Simba SC 3 0 0 3 1 4 -3 0
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
Rwanda Premier League giants APR FC have qualified for the second preliminary round of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
After losing the first leg 1-0 to Les Aigls du Congo last weekend, APR FC defeated the DR Congo side 3-1 in the return leg played at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Friday.
Skipper Djibril Quattara netted in each half, while Christian Ishimwe also got his name on the score board after 58 minutes.
The match started with a high tempo with APR FC cheered on by the home fans attacking in numbers. After 32 minutes Quattara put the home side ahead and went into the interval without more goals.
Ishimwe made it 2-0 after 58 minutes, before Quattara picked his brace after 75 minutes. The win saw APR FC qualify on a 3-1 goal aggregate.
“I thank the team for responding well and getting the goals that have seen us qualify for the next round,” said APR FC’s head coach Abedrabbihi Taleb after the match.
APR FC will now wait to face the winner between AS Port (Djibouti) and former champions Zamalek (Egypt) in the second round of the preliminary stage. Zamalek lead 2-1 after the first leg and the return leg will be played on Saturday in Cairo, Egypt.
Action returns on Saturday with more teams from the CECAFA Zone in action. Al Hilal SC (Sudan) with a 2-0 advantage host Angie Noir FC (Burundi) at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, while Young Africans SC (Tanzania) host Gaborone United FC from Botswana at the Azam Complex.
South Sudan’s El Merriekh SC Bentiu with a 1-0 advantage will face Heegan FC (Somalia), Al Merrikh SC (Sudan) play away to Power Dynamos FC in Zambia.
On Sunday Zanzibar’s KVZ FC will play away to Swehly FC In Libya, Vipers SC (Uganda) face FC Noundhibou in Mauritania, Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) play Pyramids FC in Egypt, while Simba SC (Tanzania) host Mighty Wanderers FC.
Sudan top sides Al Hilal SC and Al Merrikh SC have kick started their 2026/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League campaigns with wins in the first leg first preliminary round.
Al Hilal SC, quarter finalists last season collected a 2-0 win away to Burundi’s Aigle Noir at the national Stadium in Bujumbura.
Yasser Al Shahrani and Salim Adams scored in each half to ensure the Sudan team take the advantage back to Kigali where the return leg will be played next weekend.
Another Sudan side Al Merrikh SC also defeated Power Dynamos FC (Zambia) 1-0 in the first leg played on Saturday at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda. Bashir Bangoura converted a penalty after 39 minutes for the only goal of the match.
In other matches played on Saturday, South Sudan Premier League reigning champions El Merriekh SC Bentiu defeated Heegan FC (Somalia) 1-0 wit Tot Maet scoring the lone goal.
Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna FC collected an away goalless draw away to Aigions FC N’Djamena of Chad, while Uganda’s Vipers SC were held to a 1-1 draw by FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania). Tanzania Premier League giants Young Africans SC also picked a 1-1 draw away to Gaborone United in Botswana.
On Friday Zanzibar’s KVZ FC suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Al Swehly SC in Libya, while AS Du Port from Djibouti also lost 2-1 to Zamalek in a match played in Cairo.
Action continues on Sunday with Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC hosting Pyramids FC (Egypt), while Tanzania’s Simba SC also play away to Mighty Wanderers FC in Malawi.
Collected CAF Champions League results for CECAFA teams
Al Swehly 1 KVZ FC 0
AS Du Port 1 Zamalek 2
Aigle Noir 0 Al Hilal SC 2
El Merreikh SC Bentiu 1 Heegan FC 0
Vipers SC 1 FC Nouadhibou 1
Al Merriekh SC 1 Power Dynamos 0
Aigions FC N’Djamena 0 Sidama Bunna FC 0
Gaborone United 1 Young Africans 1
Sudan’s Al Hilal SC have been drawn against Burundi Premier League champions Aigle Noir CS in the first preliminary round of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The draw was conducted on Friday in Cairo, Egypt.
The 2025/2026 quarter finalists Al Hilal SC will play the first leg in Burundi between September 4-6th, and later hosts their return leg in Kigali between September 11-13th.
Incase they go past the first hurdle, Sudan’s Al Hilal SC will then face the winner between Aigloms FC N’Djamena (Chad) and Sidaama Buna FC (Ethiopia).
“The CECAFA Kagame Cup has given us good preparations ahead of the CAF Champions League,” says Al Hilal SC head coach Guy Bukasa Misakabu.
South Sudan Premier League champions El Merriekh SC Bentiu will also make a return to the competition when they face Heegan SC (Somalia), while Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) take on Pyramids FC (Egypt) in the first preliminary round.
Uganda’s Vipers SC will take on Mauritania’s giants FC Nouadhibou, APR FC (Rwanda) face Les Aigles Du Congo, while Young Africans SC (tanzania) play Botswana’s Gaborone Utd FC.
The three highest-ranked clubs earned a bye through the first preliminary round: South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Esperance and Renaissance Berkane.
The second preliminary round follows a similar pattern. First legs fall between 16 and 18 October, and the return matches take place from the 23rd to the 25th.
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