CAF Champions League
Al Merreikh, Young Africans, APR qualify for next stage of CAF Champions League
Six teams from the CECAFA Zone have qualified for the second preliminary round of the 2023/2024 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Rwanda Premier League reigning champions APR FC were the first to book the ticket to the next phase after a 2-0 win against Gaddidka FC (Somalia) to qualify on a 3-1 goal aggregate.
Apam Bemol and Gilbert Mugisha netted the two goals in the match played at the Kigali Pele Stadium on Thursday.
Bumamuru FC (Burundi) and Sudan’s Al Merreikh also sealed through in other matches played on Friday.
After drawing 0-0 in the first leg, Bumamuru FC humbled the Gabon champions Centre Sportif Bendje 5-1 in the return leg played at the Azam Complex, Chamazi in Tanzania. Ali Shabani Valentin netted a hat-trick, while Mokono Elie Eldhino scored a brace for the Burundi team, while Bienvenu Eroine Ngoua Obibayi scored for the visitors.
Al Merreikh (Sudan) also managed to register a 0-0 draw against Otoho d’Oyo (Congo Brazzaville) to qualify on an away goals rule since they settled for a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
Young Africans SC (Tanzania) humbled ASAS FC (Djibouti) 5-1 to qualify on a 7-1 goal aggregate. Maxi Mpia Nzengeli netted a brace, while Hafiz Konkoni, Pacome Zouazoua and Clement Mzize also got their names on the score sheet. Tito Mayor netted a late penalty for the ASAS side.
Uganda’s Vipers SC who reached the group stage of the same competition last season beat Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana) 2-1, but bowed out on a 3-2 goal aggregate. Striker Yunus Ssentamu scored twice in the first half, but Gilbert Baruti scored late after 89 minutes to deny Vipers SC any chance of taking the match into penalty shoot-outs. Al Hilal (Sudan) are also through to the next round after picking a walkover Wau Salaam (South Sudan).
On Sunday St. George FC (Ethiopia) will face Zanzibar’s KMKM SC in the return leg. The winner over two legs will face the reigning champions Al Ahly of Egypt.
The second round of the preliminary round will be played September 15-17 fo the first leg, while the second leg takes place between September 29th to October 1st, 2023. In the next round APR FC will face Pyramids (Egypt), Mumamuru FC will take on South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, while Al Merreikh battle against Young Africans.
Simba SC who will start their campaign in the next round will take on Power Dynamos (Zambia). Al Hilal will wait to face the winner between Orimero de Agosto (Angola) and AS Vita Club (DR Congo).
Sudan giants Al Hilal are set to face Egypt’s Al Ahly in the first leg of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday night.
Florent Ibenge, the Al Hilal coach has made it clear that the first leg will be very important because it sets the ground for the return leg.
“We know that Al Ahly are a big team that has won several trophies on the continent, but we have tactically prepared and know how we must handle the match. This round is won over two legs and that is what we have prepared for,” says Ibenge.
Although Al Hilal have been disadvantaged to play all their home matches away from Khartoum because of the political instability back in Sudan, they have showed stability and only lost two matches in all 10 matches they have played in the initial stages going into the quarter final.
Al Hilal, the only team in the CECAFA Zone playing in the quarter final stage will look to skipper Muhamed Abdelrahman to lead the team in hunt for goals together with Adam Coulibaly and Burundian International Jean Claude Girumugisha.
To reach the quarter final stage Al Hilal ejected Al Ahly Benghazi (Libya) and San Pedro (Ivory Coast) in the first and second rounds respectively. They went on to top Group A that MC Alger (Algeria), Young Africans SC (Tanzania) and DR Congo’s TP Mazembe.
The other quarter final matches to be played on Tuesday include Pyramids facing AS FAR, Mamelodi Sundowns battling against Esperance de Tunis, and MC Alger taking on Orlando Pirates.
Sudan’s Al Hilal have been drawn to face reigning champions Al Ahly at the quarter final stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The draw of Africa’s most prestigious club tournament was conducted on Thursday at the beIN studio in Doha, Qatar.
Al Hilal are the only team from the CECAFA Zone to make it to the quarter final stage after Young Africans SC from Tanzania dropped out in the group stage.
Despite the political conflict in Sudan which forced Al Hilal handled by Florent Ibenge to play outside the country, they managed to top the group.
Incase Al Hilal eliminate the 12-time champions Al Ahly, they will face the winner between Mamelodi Sundowns and Esperance Sportive de Tunis at the semi-final stage.
The other two quarter final ties will see Pyramids FC (Egypt) take on AS FAR (Morocco), while Algeria’s MC Alger of Algeria face another South African side Orlando Pirates.
Matches at the quarter-final stage will be played over two legs, with the first leg scheduled for April 1st, 2025 and the return leg on April 8th.
Quarter finals
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)
Al Ahly SC (Egypt) vs Al Hilal SC (Sudan)
MC Alger (Algeria) vs Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
Pyramids FC (Egypt) vs AS FAR (Morocco)
Tanzania Premier League side Young Africans SC have failed to book a place in the quarter-final stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Young Africans SC needed nothing less than victory against MC Alger in the last group match played in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, but settled for a goalless draw.
Coach Sead Ramovic’s team revived their hopes last weekend after defeating table leaders Al Hilal (Sudan) 1-0 in an away match played in Mauritania. The draw against the Algerian side meant that they finished third in the group with 8 points.
In the second Group A match played in DR Congo, bottom placed TP Mazembe shocked Al Hilal 4-0. Jean Diouf and Ibrahim Keita gave TP Mazembe a 2-0 half time lead.
After the interval Merceil Ngimbi Vumbi increased the lead, and Suleman Shaibu converted a late penalty to make it 4-0.
Al Hilal finished top with 10 points, while MC Alger came second with 9 points and TP Mazembe bottom with 5 points.
Young Africans SC have picked a 1-0 win away to Al Hilal to improve their chances of qualifying for the knock-out stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Stephane Aziz Ki netted the only goal after 7 minutes in the Group A match played on Sunday at the Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium in Nouakchott, Mauritania.
The Tanzanian side who lost their opening Group match 2-0 to the same Sudan team last year made sure they picked the revenge as they dominated most of the match.
Although Al Hilal have already qualified for the quarter final stage with 10 points, Young Africans SC closed the gap as they moved to 7 points, one behind second placed MC Alger from Algeria.
Young Africans SC will now need to register a win in their last Group A match against MC Alger on January 18th, 2025 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Last year Tanzanian sides Young Africans SC and Simba SC reached the quarter-final stage.
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