CAF Champions League
Sudan’s Al Hilal picks vital away win against Kenya Police in CAF Champions League
Sudan giants Al Hilal SC have secured a vital 1-0 win away to Kenya Police FC in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
After a very good start dominating play at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, the home side fell behind after 19 minutes.
Adama Coulibaly made no mistake with finding the net with a cool finish after capitalizing on a misplaced back-pass by Kenya Police defender Charles Ouma.
The match was held on Friday behind closed doors at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, following a late change since Nyaypo Stadium was hosting the funeral service of former Kenya Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The Kenya Premier League reigning champions did not give up and kept pushing forward, but looked blunt in the final third.
After recess Kenya Police FC head coach Etienne Ndayiragije made some changes bringing on the fresh legs of Edward Omondi and David Okoth for Eric Zakayo and Exaule Misuri.
The home side still failed to find the goals against a defensively organized Al Hilal SC team. “We still have to work hard and prepare well ahead of the return leg in Libya next week,” said Kenya Police FC coach Ndayiragije after the match.
Action continues on Saturday for CECAFA teams with Burundi champions Aigle Noir FC hosting giants Al Ahly in Bujumbura, while Young Africans SC (Tanzania) play away to Silver Strikers FC in Malawi.
On Sunday Vipers SC (Uganda) will hosts Power Dynamos FC (Zambia), while Simba SC (Tanzania) take on Nsingizini Hotspurs FC (Eswatini). The match between Ethiopian Insurance and reigning champions Pyramids FC has been postponed as the Egyptian side will be engaed with the Super Cup.
Tanzania Premier League giants Young Africans SC have made a winning start in the group stage of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Young Africans SC defeated AS FAR (Morocco) 1-0 in their opening Group B match played at the New Amaan Complex on Saturday.
Prince Dube Mpumelelo netted the lone goal after 58 minutes in a hotly contested match. The Moroccan side tried to fight back, but failed to bet the well organized Young Africans Sc defending line.
Young Africans SC’s head coach Pedro Gonçalves who was only appointed in October this year said it was good to start the group stage with a win. “We still have a lot of work to do ahead of the many matches to be played,” added Goncalves.
The Tanzanian side are now second in the group after record winners Al Ahly (Egypt) later defeated JS Kabylie (Algeria) 4-1 in Cairo last night.
On Sunday another Tanzanian side Simba SC suffered a 1-0 home defeat to visiting Petro de Luanda (Angola) in a Group D match at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Bernardo Dias netted the lone goal after 78 minutes.
Sudan giants Al Hilal SC have made a winning start in the group stage of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The 10-man Al Hilal side stopped MC Alger (Algeria) 2-1 in the first Group C match played on Friday at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Skipper Abdelrazig Omer gave Al Hilal the lead at the stroke of half time after a good assist by Burundian International Jean-Claude Girumugisha.
After recess the visiting team piled pressure and attacked in numbers. The pressure paid off when Mustafa Karshom deflected the ball into his own net to make it 1-1 after 53 minutes. The defender deflected MC Alger’s Oussama Benhaoua’s hard shot.
Mohamed Abdelrahman was on target after 75 minutes to put Al Hilal ahead again. The Sudan team was reduced to 10-players after Salaheldin Alhassan was sent off with four minutes to full time.
Al Hilal opted to play their matches in Rwanda because of the unrest in Sudan. Al Hilal and El Merriekh have also been cleared to play in the 2025/2026 Rwanda Premier League.
Action returns on Saturday when Tanzanian giants Young Africans SC host AS FAR (Morocco) in a Group B match at the New Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar. On Sunday Simba Sc (Tanzania) will also be in action in a Group D match against Angola’s Petro de Luanda at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Tanzania Premier League reigning champions Young Africans SC have been placed in a tricky group ahead of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group stage.
The draw supervised by CAF’s head of Competitions Division, Nassar Khaled and assisted by African legends Alex Song (Cameroon) and Christopher Katongo (Zambia) was carried out at the Supersport Studio in Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday.
Young Africans SC have been placed in Group B alongside three teams from North Africa that include the 12 time champions Al Ahly (Egypt), AS FAF (Morocco) and Algeria’s JS Kabylie.
Another Tanzanian side Simba SC who reached the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup last season have been placed in Group D alongside Esperance de Sportive (Tunisia), Atletico Petroleos de Luanda (Angola0 and Stade Malien FC (Mali).
Al Hilal SC from Sudan have been placed in Group C alongside 2016 champions Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), MC Alger (Algeria) and FC Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The group stage matches will kick off on November 21st running through till February 2026.
Group A: RD Berkane (Morocco), Pyramids FC (Egypt), Rivers United FC (Nigeria), Power Dynamos FC (Zambia)
Group B: Al Ahly (Egypt), Young Africans SC (Tanzania), AS FAR (Morocco), JS Kabylie (Algeria)
Group C: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Al Hilal SC (Sudan), MC Alger (Algeria), FC Lupopo (DR Congo)
Group D: Esperance de Sportive (Tunisia), Simba SC (Tanzania), Atletico Petroleos de Luanda (Angola), Stade Malien (Mali)
Ethiopian Insurance have bowed out of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
After picking a 1-1 draw against defending champions Pyramids FC in the first leg second preliminary round, the Egyptian side won the return leg played on Thursday 2-0.
Mostafa Ziko gave Pyramids FC the lead after 11 minutes at the Air Defense Stadium.
The Ethiopian Insurance team continued to defend in numbers as the defending champions attacked in search of more goals.
In injury time of the second-half, Ethiopian Insurance substitute Birikit Kikaleb netted an own goal. Pryamids FC qualified for the group stage on a 2-1 goal aggregate.
Tanzanian sides Young Africans SC and Simba SC are the only teams from CECAFA Zone that have qualified for the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Simba SC and Young Africans SC, all from Tanzania scored an own goal to seal the win.
The draw for the group stage will be conducted on November 3rd live from the SuperSport studios in Johannesburg, South Africa.
-
CAF African Nations Championship1 year agoAfrican Nations Championship 2025 dates announced
-
CAF Champions League4 weeks agoYoung Africans draw Al Ahly for CAF Champions League group stage
-
CECAFA11 years agoBotswana beats Kenya in African Youth Championships
-
FIFA WOrld Cup Qualifiers3 months agoUganda win, Tanzania pick late draw in FIFA World Cup qualifiers
-
CAF African Nations Championship3 months agoCHAN 2024: Kenya lead group, to face Madagascar in quarter final stage
-
FIFA U-17 World Cup 20252 weeks agoUganda ejects Senegal to storm FIFA U-17 World Cup round of 16
-
NEWS4 years agoYoung Africans SC face Nyasa Big Bullets in CECAFA Kagame Cup kick-off
-
Top stories6 years agoWe need to win the first match against Coronavirus – Infantino