CAF Champions League
Al Hilal pick vital away draw to San Pedro in CAF Champions League
Sudan’s Al Hilal have earned a vital 2-2 away draw against FC San Pedro in a first leg tie of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League second preliminary round.
Handled by Florent Ibenge, the Al Hilal team battled from 2-1 down to level matters and improve their chances of making it to the group stage.
The Ivorian team took the lead after 32 minutes through Guy Bedi, but Mohamed Abdel Raman made it 1-1 after 42 minutes. After the interval San Pedro defender Goudouss Bamba restored their lead after 65 minutes, but Raman made sure he netted his second with six minutes to the end of the tie to keep the Sudan team with hopes of making it to the group stage.
In another match played on Sunday involving a team from the CECAFA Zone, Kenyan giants Gor Mahia FC suffered a 3-0 defeat to African giants Al Ahly from Egypt in a match played at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.
Rami Rabia and Percy Tau scored for the Egyptian side in the first 15 minutes, and the South African International Tau netted his second goal of the day after 74 minutes.
In Tunis, Somalia’s Dekedeha FC lost 4-1 to Esperance de Tunis. The Tunisian champions took a 27th minute lead through Yan Sasse, but Nigerian import Adepoji Oluwasen leveled matters for Somali Premier League reigning champions Dekedaha FC two minutes into added time of the first half.
After recess Youcef Belaili scored a brace and Yassine Meriah also scored one goal to help Esperance de Tunis register a comfortable win.
In the matches played on Saturday, Tanzania’s Young Africans SC picked a slim 1-0 win away to Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC 1-0 in a match played at the Abebe Bikila Stadium. New signing Zimbabwe International Prince Dube netted the lone goal after 45 minutes.
At the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, APR FC settled for a 1-1 draw against Pyramids FC from Egypt. The Rwanda army side took a first half lead through an own goal by Mohamed Chibi, but DR Congo International Fiston Mayele Kalala leveled matters late in the match.
Sudan’s Al Merriekh who hosted AS FAR (Morocco) at the Juba National Stadium in South Sudan could only manage a 2-2 draw. Elsamani Elsawi and Mohamed Gbane scored for the hosts, while Mohamed Hrimat and Abdelfettah Hadraf got their names on the scoring sheet for the visitors.
The return legs of the second preliminary round to determine the 16 teams that will qualify for the group stage will be played between September 20-21st, 2024.
Collected results
Dekedeha FC 1 Esperance de Tunis 4
FC San Pedro 2 Al Hilal 2
Gor Mahia 0 Al Ahly 3
APR FC 1 Pryamids 1
Al Merriekh 2 AS FAR 2
CBE 0 Young Africans 1
Sudan giants Al Hilal have continued with their winning ways in the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Group A campaign.
Coach Florent Ibenge’s side stunned hosts MC Alger 1-0 with Guessouma Fofana scoring the lone goal after 76 minutes in Algiers, Algeria on Saturday night.
The win keeps Al Hilal comfortably top of the log with nine points after they had also stopped Young Africans SC 2-0 in Dar es Salaam and defeated TP Mazembe 2-1 in a match played in Mauritania a week ago.
“I am very happy that my players remained focused and collected the three points. We need to keep focused because we still have more games to go,” said Ibenge after the match.
In an earlier Group A match Tanzania’s Young Africans SC picked their first point in the Group stage after a 1-1 draw away to TP Mazembe in Kinsasha.
Substitute Cheick Fofana gave TP Mazembe the lead after 41 minutes, but Zimbabwean International Prince Dube leveled matters in the dying minutes of the game.
While Al Hilal have now collected 9 points, MC Alger are second with 4 points. TP Mazembe are in third place with 2 points, while Young Africans SC only have 1 point and are bottom of the log.
Sudan’s Al Hilal have stopped TP Mazembe 2-1 to maintain their winning run in Group A of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
After shocking Young Africans SC 2-0 in the opening match played in Dar es Salaam a week ago, Al Hilal made sure they collected another straight win against DR Congo giants in a match played on Sunday at the Cheikha Ouid Boidiya Stadium in Mauritania.
Al Hilal were awarded a penalty after 22 minutes, and Mohamed Abdel Rahman made no mistake from the spot to make it 1-0.
After recess TP Mazembe pushed forward and leveled matters after 64 minutes through Oscar Kabwit Tshikomb. Substitute Jean Claude Girumigisha came to the rescue to ensure Al Hilal collected maximum points with a winning goal one minute of added time.
“It was a very tough match. But I am happy that my players concentrated till the end of the match,” said a happy Al Hilal coach Florent Ibenge after the match.
Group A table leaders Al Hilal will next travel to face Algeria’s MC Alger on December 14th, while Young Africans SC play away to TP Mazembe in DR Congo.
Tanzanian Premier League reigning champions Young Africans SC will be hoping to return to winning ways when the face MC Alger in a 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Group A tie on Saturday.
The tricky encounter will take place at the Stade du 5 Juillet in the capital Algiers
After losing their opening Group A match 2-0 to Sudan’s Al Hilal in Dar es Salaam last weekend, Young Africans SC’s new coach Sead Ramovic will be hoping that his team can return strongly.
“We need to be very cautious because the match is away from home and we must play better than we played against Al Hilal,” says Ramovic.
“We are coming up against a difficult team with many experienced players but we also have a side with very good players too. We are under pressure after losing our first game but that also gives us the strength to prepare well for tomorrow’s encounter,” added the coach.
While Young Africans SC suffered defeat in their opening Group A match, MC Alger picked a goalless draw away to TP Mazembe in DR Congo.
Group A table leaders Al Hilal will return to action against TP Mazembe on Sunday in a match they will hosts at the Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium, Nouakchott in Mauritania.
Sudan giants Al Hilal have kick started their Group A TotalEnergies CAF Champions League campaign in style with a 2-0 away win against Young Africans SC.
After a goalless first half, coach Florent Ibenge’s team returned strong to score through Adam Coulibaly and Mozamir Yasir to shock the Tanzanian giants in-front of their fans at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.
The Malian put Al Hilal ahead after 63 minutes, before Yasir put the icing on the cake after 90 minutes. It was also the first match for newly recruited Young Africans SC coach Sead Ramovic whose side missed the services of injured Ugandan international Khalid Aucho.
“We are very happy to collect maximum points away from home. We need to remain focused,” said Al Hilal’s coach Ibenge after the match.
Ramovic, the Young Africans coach made it clear that there is still work to be done in-terms of team fitness and general play.
Al Hilal are now top of Group A after the match between hosts TP Mazembe from DR Congo and MC Alger ended goalless.
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