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.
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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