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 Premier League giants Al Hilal SC have traveled to Morocco ahead of their first leg tie against RS Berkane in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions league.
Coach Laurentiu Reghecampf’s team traveled on Thursday ahead of the match at the Municipal Stadium in Berkane on March 14th.
“We are determined to try and get a good result I this first leg and it explains why we have also made an early trip,” says the Al Hilal coach.
Although Reghecampf considers it a very tough and tactical encounter, he is optimistic they have what it takes to register good results in the two legs. “We need to be at our best to defend and attack as a team,” he added.
To reach the quarter final stage Al Hilal SC topped Group C with 11 points after registering three wins, two draws and one defeat. RS Berkane came second in Group A with 10 points behind reigning champions Pyramids.
Al Hilal SC will host RS Berkane in the return leg on March 22nd at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Al Hilal SC are currently to pf the table in the Rwanda Premier League. They opted to play in the Rwanda Premier League because of the political instability back in Sudan.
Sudan’s Premier League giants Al Hilal SC have been draw to face RS Berkane in the first quarter final match of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
In the draw conducted by CAF on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt, Al Hilal SC will get the advantage for coming top in the group stages by playing away from home first.
The quarter-final matches are scheduled for March 13–14 (first legs) and March 20–21 (second legs). In-case the two time finalists Al Hilal SC advance to the semi-final stage, they will face the winner between AS FAR (Morocco) and Pyramids FC (Egypt).
Laurentiu Reghecampf, the Al Hilal SC coach says they will prepare well for the quarter final stage. “We must prepare well because there is no weak team in the knock out stage,” added Reghecampf.
In the other quarter final match-ups the 12 time titles winners Al Ahly SC will face Esperance, while Mamelodi Sundowns battle Stade Malien, and AS FAR take on Pyramids FC.
Quarter-final draw
RS Berkane (Morocco) vs Al Hilal (Sudan)
Esperance ST (Tunisia) vs Al Ahly (Egypt)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) vs Stade Malien (Mali)
AS FAR (Morocco) vs Pyramids FC (Egypt)
Tanzanian side Young Africans SC have failed to qualify for the quarter final stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Young Africans delivered a good performance beating JS Kabylie (Algeria) 3-0 in a Group D match played on Sunday at the New Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
After a tightly contested first 30 minutes, Angolan import Laurindo Depu converted a penalty for the hosts after 36 minutes.
After the interval, the hosts intensified their dominance, pushing forward with greater urgency as they sought to strengthen their advantage.
But Depu struck again in the 63rd minute, finishing neatly from an Allan Okello assist to make it 2-0. Clatous Boka also got his name on the score sheet after 67 minutes.
The win pushed Young Africans SC to eight points, though the goalless draw between Al Ahly and AS FAR (Morocco) in Cairo meant that the two North African teams qualified for the knock out stage.
The other teams that have qualified for the quarter finals include; Al Hilal SC (Sudan), Mamelodi Sundowns FC (South Africa), Pyramids (Egypt) and RS Berkane (Morocco).
Sudan giants Al Hilal SC have stormed the quarter final stage on the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions league.
Al Hilal sealed their place after defeating the Democratic of Congo’s Saint Eloi-Lupopo 1-0 in their last Group C match played at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Steven Ebuela netted the lone goal after 26 minutes to ensure Al Hilal SC finished top of the group with 11 points.
In the other Group C match South African side Mamelodi Sundowns booked a place after stopping MC Alger (Algeria) 1-0 in a match played in Pretoria.
Tanzanian side Simba SC also completed their Group D matches with a 1-0 win against table leaders Stade Malien in a match played at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Anicet Oura scored the lone goal in the first half.
Simba SC bowed out after finishing bottom of the group with 5 points from six matches played.
On Sunday Tanzania Premier League reigning champions Young Africans SC will face an acid test in a Group D match against JS Kabylie (Algeria) at the New Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
Young Africans SC will be all out to try and collect a huge win and also hope that group leaders Al Ahly defeat Morocco AS FAR in Cairo.
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