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 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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