CAF Champions League
CAF Champions League: Simba SC, Young Africans face tricky away battles
Three teams from the CECAFA Zone Simba SC, Young Africans and Al Merriekh will all be in action in the first leg second preliminary round of the 2023/2024 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League on Saturday.
Tanzanian sides Simba SC and Young Africans will face tricky tests when they play away in the first leg ties. Simba SC who get into the mix for the first time this season will play away to Zambia’s Power Dynamos FC, while Young Africans SC take on Al Merriekh (Sudan) at the Kigali Pele Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Having reached the quarter final stage last season, Simba SC will be more than hungry to see that they aim higher this time starting with a good result away from home.
Roberto Oliveira, Simba’s Brazillian coach has made it clear that every match in the CAF Champions League is not easy. ” I know matches at this level are very tough, but we have prepared well enough and will be out to try and get a good first leg result, ” added Oliveira.
Moses Phiri, one of Simba SC’s forwards also made it clear that the match against Power Dynamos will be a tough one. Besides trying to defend well, Simba SC will also hope that some of their forwards Phiri, Jean Baleke, Shaban Chilunga and veteran John Bocco find their scoring touch.
Young Africans SC, finalists in the 2022/2023 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will be eager to send a strong message when they face Al Merriekh in the first leg.
New Young Africans SC coach Miguel Angel Gamondi who took over in June 2023 has aid they will treat the match very seriously because the away match is very important before they host the Sudan team. ” The players know it will be a tough match and we must give our best, ” added Miguel Ángel Gamondi whose team ejected Djibouti Telecom 7-1 on aggregate in the first round and have made a good start scoring 10 goals in two League matches played at home.
On Sunday Rwanda’s APR FC will face Egyptian side Pyramids FC in Kigali, Al Hilal (Sudan) take on Primero de Agosto away in Angola.
Meanwhile, Burundi’s Bumamuru FC suffered a 4-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns FC in the first leg second preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League match played at the Azam Complex in Tanzania on Friday.
The hosts Bumamuru tried to push forward early, but the Mamelodi Sundowns’ defenders closed out Theodore Ngabirano and Ali Shabani Valentin.
After 11 minutes the South African giants earned penalty after a handball in the box, and Lucas Ribeiro made no mistake from the spot. Ribeiro made it 2-0 after 37 minutes and Lesiba Nku made sure they went 3-0 up at the interval. Peter Shalulile back from injury also got his name on the score sheet 10 minutes to the final whistle.
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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