CAF Champions League
Rwanda’s APR FC make false start in TotalEnergies CAF Champions League
Rwanda Premier League reigning champions APR FC have made a false start in the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Going into the first leg first preliminary match at the Kigali Pele Stadium against the defending champions Pyramids FC on Wednesday, the home side needed to secure a good result before the return leg in Cairo.
But the visiting Egyptian Premier League side ensured they picked a comfortable 2-0 win.
DR Congo forward Fiston Mayele scored in each half to silence the home crowd.
After a goalless first half where the two teams had some missed scoring chances, Mayele beat the APR defending line to send a low shot past goalkeeper Pierre Ishimwe.
APR FC brought the fresh legs of Mamadou Sy and Ugandan International Dennis Omedi, bit to no avail as the Pyramids FC defenders stood firm.
With the clock ticking away Mayele capitalized on a mistimed clearance by the APR FC defenders and raced in the box to score to make it 2-0 after 86 minutes.
APR FC now face a tall order when the two teams face-off again in the return leg on October 8th in Cairo.
All the other first preliminary matches have been decided apart form the one between Pyramids FC and APR, and the one involving Saint-Eloi Lupopo and Sudan’s El Merriekh.
Ethiopian Insurance have bowed out of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
After picking a 1-1 draw against defending champions Pyramids FC in the first leg second preliminary round, the Egyptian side won the return leg played on Thursday 2-0.
Mostafa Ziko gave Pyramids FC the lead after 11 minutes at the Air Defense Stadium.
The Ethiopian Insurance team continued to defend in numbers as the defending champions attacked in search of more goals.
In injury time of the second-half, Ethiopian Insurance substitute Birikit Kikaleb netted an own goal. Pryamids FC qualified for the group stage on a 2-1 goal aggregate.
Tanzanian sides Young Africans SC and Simba SC are the only teams from CECAFA Zone that have qualified for the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Simba SC and Young Africans SC, all from Tanzania scored an own goal to seal the win.
The draw for the group stage will be conducted on November 3rd live from the SuperSport studios in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Simba SC have booked a place in the group stage of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The Tanzania Premier League side became the third team in the CECAFA Zone to qualify for the group stage.
After winning the first leg 3-0 away to Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs FC, Simba SC settled for a goalless draw in the return leg played at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es salaam on Sunday.
Simba SC who lost out in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup last season have now joined other CECAFA teams Young Africans SC (Tanzania) and Al Hilal SC (Sudan) in the group stage of Africa’s biggest Club competition.
Meanwhile in a delayed first leg match played on Sunday, Ethiopian Insurance FC held reigning champions Pyramids FC (Egypt) to a 1-1 draw in a match played in Cairo.
In-form DR Congo International Fiston Mayele gave Pyramids FC the lead after 11 minutes, but Biruk Mulugeta made it 1-1 with seven minutes to the end of the match. The return leg will be played on October 30th to decide which team progresses to the group stage.
Tanzania Premier League reigning champions have stormed the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group stage.
Young Africans SC defeated Silver Strikers FC (Malawi) 2-0 in the return leg of the second preliminary round on Saturday to qualify on a 2-1 goal aggregate.
After only six minutes Dickson Job netted from a well taken Mohamed Doumba corner kick to send the fans chanting at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
The home side continued to dominate play with Maxi Nzengeli and Duke Abuya causing the Silver Strikers FC all sorts of trouble.
Pacôme Zouzoua made it 2-0 after 34 minutes when he cleverly finished off a well weighed in Nzengeli cross to beat the Silver Strikers FC goalkeeper George Chikooka.
After recess the Young Africans SC side continued to dominate play, but were denied opportunities to score more goals. It is the fifth straight time that Young Africans SC qualify for the group stage of the CAF Champions League.
In another match played by a team from the CECAFA Zone, Aigle Noir FC (Burundi) lost 1-0 to a 10-man Al Ahly at the Cairo International Stadium. The African giants qualified for the group stage on a 2-0 goal aggregate.
Young Africans SC now join Al Hilal (Sudan), Al Ahly (Egypt), Power Dynamos (Zambia), Saint Eloi Lupopo (DR Congo), JS Kabylie (Algeria) into the group stage.
On Sunday Tanzania’s Simba SC who are leading 3-0 after the first leg will host Nsingizini Hotspurs FC (Eswatini) in the return leg, while Ethiopian Insurance battle reigning champions Pyramids FC (Egypt) in the delayed first leg.
Sudan giants Al Hilal SC have qualified for the group stage of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Al Hilal dispatched Kenya Police FC 3-1 in the return leg played on Friday at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benghazi, Libya.
Nigerian forward Sunday Adetungi gave Al Hilal the lead after 37 minutes as the first half ended in their favour.
In the second half the Kenya Premier League reigning champions made it 1-1 after 55 minutes through Erick Zakayo. As Kenya Police FC tried to push more players in attack, Adetunji netted the second goal after 64 minutes.
With the clock ticking away with nine added minutes Ahmed Salem scored Al Hilal SC’s third goal to ensure they qualify for the group stage on a 4-1 goal aggregate.
At the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia, Uganda’s Vipers SC failed to beat Power Dynamos to advance to the group stage.
After losing the first leg 2-1, Vipers SC could only manage a 1-1 draw I the return leg match played on Friday. Kenyan forward Moses Shumah gave the home side the lead after 68 minutes, and Karim Watambala leveled matters 10 minutes to the end of the match.
Tanzania’s Young Africans SC will host Silver Strikers FC on Saturday in the return leg with the hope of turning tables after losing the first leg 1-0.
Another Tanzanian side Simba SC will host Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs FC on Sunday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
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