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.
Sudan’s Al Hilal SC are out of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
After picking a 1-1 away draw against Morocco’s RS Berkane, Al Hilal suffers a 1-0 defeat in the return leg played on Sunday at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Munir Chouiar netted the lone goal after 93 minutes to ensure RS Berkane qualified for the semi-final stage on a 2-1 goal aggregate.
Chouiar made amends after his penalty had been saved by the Al Hilal SC goalkeeper earlier in the 61st minute.
Few minutes into the second half the Sudan side thought they had taken the lead through Adama Coulibaly, but after VAR review, the goal was ruled out.
Laurentiu Regecamp, the Al Hilal SC coach said that although his team is eliminated from the competition, his team should be able to learn something from this.
RS Berkane now join other teams Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), ES Tunis (Tunisia) and another Moroccan side AS FAR in the semi-final stage.
Sudan giants Al Hilal SC collected a valuable away 1-1 draw to RS Berkane in the first leg of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League quarter finals played on Saturday night.
Omar Abdel Rahman gave the Al Hilal side the lead after 13 minutes to silence the home fans at the Municipal Stadium in Berkane.
The two sides continued to attack and create several scoring opportunities, but the first half ended 1-0 with Al Hilal SC in the driving seat.
After recess the hosts RS Berkane pushed for an equalizer throughout intensifying their attacks. Their efforts paid off seven minutes in injury time when they were awarded a penalty.
Al Hilal SC defender Steven Ebuela tackled in the box and the referee awarded a penalty. Ebuela was sent off, while Mounir Chouiar successfully converted the penalty.
The second leg will take place on March 22 at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda. The winner will face the winner between reigning champions Pyramids FC (Egypt) and Morocco’s Raja Casablanca.
Sudan Premier League giants Al Hilal SC have traveled to Morocco ahead of their first leg tie against RS Berkane in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions league.
Coach Laurentiu Reghecampf’s team traveled on Thursday ahead of the match at the Municipal Stadium in Berkane on March 14th.
“We are determined to try and get a good result I this first leg and it explains why we have also made an early trip,” says the Al Hilal coach.
Although Reghecampf considers it a very tough and tactical encounter, he is optimistic they have what it takes to register good results in the two legs. “We need to be at our best to defend and attack as a team,” he added.
To reach the quarter final stage Al Hilal SC topped Group C with 11 points after registering three wins, two draws and one defeat. RS Berkane came second in Group A with 10 points behind reigning champions Pyramids.
Al Hilal SC will host RS Berkane in the return leg on March 22nd at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Al Hilal SC are currently to pf the table in the Rwanda Premier League. They opted to play in the Rwanda Premier League because of the political instability back in Sudan.
Sudan’s Premier League giants Al Hilal SC have been draw to face RS Berkane in the first quarter final match of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
In the draw conducted by CAF on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt, Al Hilal SC will get the advantage for coming top in the group stages by playing away from home first.
The quarter-final matches are scheduled for March 13–14 (first legs) and March 20–21 (second legs). In-case the two time finalists Al Hilal SC advance to the semi-final stage, they will face the winner between AS FAR (Morocco) and Pyramids FC (Egypt).
Laurentiu Reghecampf, the Al Hilal SC coach says they will prepare well for the quarter final stage. “We must prepare well because there is no weak team in the knock out stage,” added Reghecampf.
In the other quarter final match-ups the 12 time titles winners Al Ahly SC will face Esperance, while Mamelodi Sundowns battle Stade Malien, and AS FAR take on Pyramids FC.
Quarter-final draw
RS Berkane (Morocco) vs Al Hilal (Sudan)
Esperance ST (Tunisia) vs Al Ahly (Egypt)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) vs Stade Malien (Mali)
AS FAR (Morocco) vs Pyramids FC (Egypt)
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