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).
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.
Sudan Premier League reigning champions Al Hilal are the first team to book a quarter final slot in the on-going 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Coach Folrent Ibenge’s team battled to to a 1-1 draw against MC Alger in a Group A match played on Sunday at the Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium in Nouakchott, Mauritania.
Sofiane Bayazid gave the Algerian side an early 5th minute lead, but the Al Hilal fought back strongly to level matters through Jean Claued Girumugisha. The Burundian International dribbled past two defenders and unleashed a hard shot that the MC Alger goalkeeper failed to stop.
The draw saw Al Hilal kept top of the table with 10 points and qualify for the knock out stage with two more matches to spare.
“We are very happy that we managed to keep pushing despite conceding an early goal. The players have worked hard to get the draw and qualify for the next stage,” said Ibenge.
Al Hilal who are playing all their matches away from home because of the political unrest in Sudan have won three group matches and drawn once.
The Sudan side will next host Tanzania’s Young Africans SC on January 12th, 2025, before they play the last match against TP Mazembe six days later in Lubumbashi.
Tanzania Premier League giants Young Africans SC have stopped DR Congo’s TP Mazembe 3-1 in a Group A match of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The win sends Young Africans SC’s first to four points and revives their hopes of picking squeezing through to the quarter-final stage.
After 16 minutes TP Mazambe’s goalkeeper Alioune Badara Faty stepped forward and converted a penalty sending goalkeeper Djigui Diarra the wrong way.
But Young Africans SC who are welcoming the return of midfielder and Uganda Cranes skipper Khalid Aucho leveled matters after 33 minutes through Clement Nzize.
Nzize unleashed a hard shot from out side the box that rested at the back of the next to send the home fans jubilating at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
In the second half Young Africans intensified their search for more goals and it paid off when Stephane Aziz Ki made it 2-1 after 56 minutes. Four minutes later Nzize netted his second goal of the day.
“I am happy that the team has worked hard to finally get this win. We need to continue working hard because we have more matches to come,” said Young Africans SC head coach Sead Ramovic.
Sudan’s Al Hilal who hosts MC Alger (Algeria) on Sunday currently lead Group A with nine points.
Table Group A
P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Al Hilal 3 3 0 0 5 1 4 9
MC Alger 3 1 1 1 2 1 1 4
Y. Africans 4 1 1 2 4 6 -2 4
TP Mazembe 4 0 2 2 3 6 -3 2
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