CAF Champions League
History awaits Simba SC, Young Africans in CAF Champions League quarter final stage
Tanzania Premier League sides Simba SC and Young Africans SC will firmly carry the CECAFA flag this weekend when they face different opponents in the first leg of the 2023/2024 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The two teams await to make history at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam when Simba SC take on African giants Al Ahly (Egypt) on Friday, while Young Africans SC battle South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns FC the next day.
After failing to go past the quarter final stage last season, Simba SC will be more than hungry to try and prove a point in a match expected to have fans fill the Stadium in what is anticipated a mother of all battles.
Interestingly when the two sides last faced off last year in the inaugural African Football League, Simba SC settled for a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Dar es Salaam, while the second leg also ended 1-1, but the Egyptians qualified for the next phase on an away goals rule. In the group stage of the 2020/2021 Champions League Simba SC defeated Al Ahly 1-0, and the Egyptian giants also picked a similar score in Cairo.
Abdelhak Benchikha, Simba SC’s Algerian coach has however made it clear that they need to be in total control of the match from the start to the end because the first leg is very important in determining what comes out of the quarter final played over two legs. “We need to play as a unit because we are facing a strong side,” adds Benchikha.
To reach the quarter final stage Simba Sc ejected Zambia’s Power Dynamos in the second round, before coming out second in the group stage that had former champions Wydad AC, ASEC Mimosas and Jwaneng Galaxy from Botswana.
The Reds of Msimbazi Simba will look to some of their experienced players including DR Congo midfielder Henock Inonga Baka who helped his team finish fourth at the AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast last month.
For Young Africans SC who lost in the final of the 2022/2024 TotalEnegies CAF Confederation Cup to Algeria’s USM Alger they are hoping to re-write their own history. It is the third time that they appear at this stage and are determined to leave their mark in the prestigious tournament.
But they come against a very tricky side, champions in 2016 and also lifted the inaugural African League last year. The Citizens as they are known how however vowed to go all out and ensure they get the much needed result before the return leg in South Africa.
Head coach Miguel Angel Gamondi has said although they respect Mamelodi Sundowns, his team has what it takes to get a good result at home. “We know what we must do to go past the first leg and later prepare for the return leg,” adds the Argentine.
Gamondi who brings a lot of experienced having handled Wydad AC, CR Belouizdad, and USM Alger among others is expected to make some changes to his team since some players are expected to return from injury.
The likes of Paçome Zouzoua from Ivory Coast has so far played a pivotal role in seeing Young Africans reach this far and a lot will be expected from him come Saturday.
Zouzoua has had four goals and two assists in nine games in the competition. To get this far Young Africans saw off Djibouti Telecom in the first preliminary round, and ejected Al Merreikh in the second round. They finished second in the group that had Al Ahly, CR Belouizdad (Algeria) and Medeama (Ghana).
Besides the locals in Tanzania several football fans from around the East and Central region and Africa have already arrived in Dar es Salaam to watch history being made by the top two Tanzanian sides.
The winner between Simba SC and Al Ahly will prepare to battle the winner between Esperance de Tunis and ASEC Mimosas at the semi-final stage, while the winner between Young Africans SC and Mamelodi Sundowns will take on the winners between TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Angola’s Petro de Luanda.
CECAFA teams Young Africans SC and Al Hilal have been drawn to face-off in the group stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAf Champions League.
In the draw conducted in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday afternoon, the Tanzania Premier League reigning champions Young Africans SC and Al Hilal (Sudan) are placed in Group A that also five time champions TP Mazembe and MC Alger (Algeria).
To reach the group stage, Young Africans SC ejected Commercial Bank of Ethiopia 7-0 on goal aggregate, while Al Hilal saw off San Pedro 3-2 on goal aggregate at the second preliminary round.
Miguel Gamondi, the Young Africans SC head coach will be eager to see that his team go a step further to perform better than they did last season when they reached the quarter final stage. For Al Hilal, who are now playing in the Mauritania Premier League because of the insecurity in Sudan will hope that they can also push a step better and make it to the knockout stage.
But the CECAFA representatives face tricky opposition in TP Mazembe (five times Champions League winners) and tricky MC Alger from Algeria. Interestingly Young Africans SC will host Al Hilal in their opening match between November 26-27, 2024.
South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns have been placed in Group B together with two teams from Morocco Raja Casablanca and FAR Rabat (Morocco), together with Maniema Union (DR Congo).
The defending champions who have won the trophy more than any other team Al Ahly (Egypy) will navigate their path in Group C alongside Belouizdad (Algeria), Orlando Pirates (South Africa) andStade d’Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire)
Group D also promises to be a tough one pitting Esperance Tunis (Tunisia), Pyramids FC (Egypt), Sagrada Esperança (Angola) and Mali’s Djoliba FC.
GROUP A
TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
Young Africans (Tanzania)
Al Hilal Omdurman (Sudan)
MC Alger (Algeria)
GROUP C
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
FAR Rabat (Morocco)
Maniema Union (DR. Congo)
GROUP C
Ahly (Egypt)
Belouizdad (Algeria)
Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
Stade d’Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire)
GROUP D
Esperance Tunis (Tunisia)
Pyramids FC (Egypt)
Sagrada Esperança (Angola)
Djoliba (Mali)
Star player Mohamed Abdelrahman netted the lone goal that sent Al Hilal to the group stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
After drawing 2-2 in the first leg of the second preliminary round against San Pedro, the Sudan Premier League side picked a hard earned 1-0 win in the return leg match played at the Cheikha Ould Boidiya Stadium in Nouakchott, Mauritania on Sunday.
Abdelrahman who netted the two goals in the first leg scored the only goal after 45 minutes. Al Hilal held their nerves to qualify on a 3-2 goal aggregate and join Tanzania’s Young Africans SC as the only teams from the CECAFA Zone that will play in the group stage.
“We are happy that after hard work we have managed to qualify for the group stage,” said a happy Al Hilal coach Florent Ibenge after the match.
The 16 teams that have now qualified the group stage include; Al Hilal (Sudan), Young Africans SC (Tanzania), CR Belouizdada, MC Alger (Algeria), Al Ahly, Pyramids FC (Egypt), AS Maniema Union, TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Mamelodi Sundowns FC, Orlando Pirates FC (South Africa), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia), Raja Club Athletic, AS FAR Rabat (Morocco), Sagrada Esperanca (Angola), Stade d’Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Djoliba AC (Mali).
Tanzania Premier League reigning champions Young Africans SC have qualified for the group stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Young Africans humbled Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC 6-0 in the return leg of the second preliminary round to qualify on a 7-0 goal aggregate.
Zambian International Clatous Chota Chama gave Young Africans SC the lead after 38 minutes in a match played at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
After recess the Tanzanian giants returned determined to bang in more goals and Clement Mzize made it 2-0 after 46 minutes when he rounded off the CBE goalkeeper and finished in an empty net.
Stephane Aziz Ki also got two goals to his account, while Mudathir Yahya and substitute Duke Ooga Abuya also netted a goal apiece. It was all celebration after the final whistle as Young Africans booked yet another place in the group stage like they did last season.
“I am happy that I have managed to score two goals today which have helped the team qualify for the group stage,” said a happy Aziz Ki after the match.
In the other matches played, the other teams from the CECAFA Zone Gor Mahia FC (Kenya), APR FC (Rwanda) and Somalia’s Dekedeka FC all got eliminated.
Gor Mahia who lost the first leg 3-0 suffered a similar scoreline in Cairo as Rami Rabia, Wessam Abou Ali and TaherMohamed Taher scored for Egyptian side Al Ahly.
In Cairo, APR FC took an early lead through Dauda Yussif Deidu against Pyramids FC, but Mohamed Chibi leveled matters before the break. DR Congo International Fiston Mayele Kalala and Karim Hafez added two second half goals to ensure the Egyptian side qualified for the group stage on a 4-2 goal aggregate.
Esperance de Tunis walloped Dekedeka FC 8-0 to qualify on a 12-1 goal aggregate.
Action returns on Sunday with two Sudan Premier League sides Al Hilal and El Merriekh in action.Coach Florent Ibenge’s Al Hilal who picked a 2-2 draw in the first leg will host Ivory Coast’s San Pedro FC in Mauritania, while El Merriekh who also drew 2-2 in their home match played in Juba will take on Morocco’s AS FAR at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
CECAFA representatives Young Africans SC and APR FC will be all out to try and make their return legs count later today and qualify for the group stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The Tanzania Premier League reigning champions stopped Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC (CBE) 1-0 in the first leg of the second preliminary round, and will be hungry to win this afternoon when the two teams face-off again at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
Miguel Gamondi, the Young Africans SC head coach has made it clear that his team must go out and look for early goals. “We must improve and look for more goals because this match is crucial,” added the coach.
But Sisay Kebede Kumbe, the CBE coach has also made it clear that they have come for a serious mission. “We know how we must handle Young Africans,” added the coach.
Rwanda’s APR FC who drew 1-1 against Pyramids FC in the first leg in Kigali also have yet another chance to try and get to the group stage when they battle the Egyptian side at the 30 June Stadium in Kigali.
Darko Novic, the APR FC coach has made it clear that they must take the scoring opportunities they create, but also play and defend as a unit. “The team is looking very motivated and ready for the match,” he added.
After losing the first leg match by a big margin, Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC will face a tough task against African giants Al Ahly later today at the Cairo International Stadium. The Egyptian side won the first leg 3-0 last weekend in Nairobi.
Somalia’s Dekedeha FC who suffered a 4-1 defeat in the first leg will also be in action against the same Esperance de Tunis side.
On Sunday two Sudan Premier League sides Al Hilal and El Merriekh will also be in action as they hope to secure places in the group stage. Al Hilal who picked a 2-2 draw in the first leg will host Ivory Coast’s San Pedro FC in Mauritania, while El Merriekh who also drew 2-2 in their home match played in Juba will take on Morocco’s AS FAR at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
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