CAF Champions League
CBE to debut against SC Villa in TotalEnergies CAF Champions League
Fresh from winning their first ever Ethiopia Premier League title, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC (CBE) will face SC Villa (Uganda) in the 1st preliminary round of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
While CBE will be making their debut in the continental tournament when the preliminary round kicks off August 16-18th with the first leg, SC Villa will also be returning to the table of men after over 20 years.
The other pairings between teams from the CECAFA Zone when the draw was conducted in Cairo, Egypt on Thursday will see other debutants Al Merriekh Bentiu from South Sudan take on Gor Mahia FC (Kenya), while Arta Solar FC (Djibouti) face Somalia’s Dekehada FC.
Vital’O FC who lifted Burundi’s Premier League title after over six years again, will face an acid test against Young African’s SC (Tanzania) who reached the quarter final last season. Another tough contest expected in the Zone will be between Azam FC (Tanzania) battle Rwanda giants APR FC.
Zanzibar’s JKU SC are not expected to have an easy task either when they play Pyramids FC from Egypt, while the Sudan sides Al Hilal and El Merriekh will take on teams from Libya who are yet not decided since the play-offs are being played in Italy.
The top teams according to ranking Al Ahly, Espérance de Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns, Atlético Petroleos and TP Mazembe were exempted from preliminary round.
The second preliminary round will see the winner between Al Merriekh Bentiu and Gor Mahia encounter the reigning champions Al Ahly (Egypt), while FA Tunis awaits the winner between Arta Solar and Dekadaha FC.
Incase Young Africans go past Vital’O in the first preliminary round, they will take on the winner between SC Villa and Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC. The winner between Azam FC and APR will also await the winner between JKU SC and Pyramids.
The 16 winners of the second round will advance to the group stage. But for starters the first preliminary matches will be played August 16-18 for the first leg, while the second leg takes place August 23-25th. The second round of the preliminary round is scheduled for September 13-15 for the first leg matches and September 20-22 for the return legs.
Preliminary Round First Leg Matches of the Champions League
M1 & 2: El Merreikh (South Sudan) vs. Gor Mahia (Kenya)
M3 & 4: Arta Solar (Djibouti) vs. Dekadaha (Somalia)
M5 & 6: SC Villa (Uganda) vs. Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (Ethiopia)
M7 & 8: Vital’O FC (Burundi) vs. Young Africans (Tanzania)
M9 & 10: Azam FC (Tanzania) vs. APR FC (Rwanda)
M11 & 12: JKU SC (Tanzania) vs. Pyramids (Egypt)
M13 & 14: M. Swallows (Eswatini) vs. Fer Da Beira (Mozambique)
M15 & 16: Ngezi Platinum (Zimbabwe) vs. AS Maniema (DR Congo)
M17 & 18: Nyasa Big Bullets (Malawi) vs. Red Arrows FC (Zambia)
M19 & 20: African Stars (Namibia) vs. Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana)
M21 & 22: Disciples FC (Madagascar) vs. Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
M23 & 24: US Zilimadjou (Comoros) vs. Rangers FC (Nigeria)
M25 & 26: St Louis (Seychelles) vs. GDSE (Angola)
M27 & 28: AS Douanes (Burkina Faso) vs. Coton Bénin (Benin)
M29 & 30: AS Leopards (Congo) vs. CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
M31 & 32: Victoria UTD (Cameroon) vs. FC Samartex (Ghana)
M33 & 34: ASGNN (Niger) vs. Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
M35 & 36: AS PSI (Chad) vs. US Monastir (Tunisia)
M37 & 38: Watanga FC (Liberia) vs. MC Alger (Algeria)
M39 & 40: Red Star (Central African Republic) vs. Djoliba de Bamako (Mali)
M41 & 42: CD Mongomo (Equatorial Guinea) vs. Asko de Kara (Togo)
M43 & 44: Stade d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) vs. Teungueth FC (Senegal)
M45 & 46: Milo FC (Guinea) vs. FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania)
M47 & 48: Bo Rangers (Sierra Leone) vs. San Pedro (Côte d’Ivoire)
M49 & 50: Libyan Club 2 vs. Al Hilal (Sudan)
M51 & 52: Libyan Club 1 vs. El Merriekh (Sudan)
M53 & 54: Remo Stars (Nigeria) vs. AS Far (Morocco)
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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