CAF Champions League
Simba SC, Al Hilal, Al Merriekh all in action
Three teams from the CECAFA Zone will all be in action later tonight in the group stage of the 2022/2023 TotalEnergies CAF Champions league.
Tanzania’s Simba SC will be looking for a good start when they face Horoya AC in Conakry in a Group C clash.
Simba’s new coach Coach Roberto Oliveira has made it clear that although they respect the hosts, his players are determined and ready to go all out for a win. “It is always good to start the group stage with a win and that is what we shall be aiming for,” added Oliveira.
It will be the first time the Brazilian coach is in-charge of the Reds in the CAF TotalEnergies Champions League, having joined from Uganda’s Vipers SC who he guided to qualification for the group stage for the first time.
Sudan Premier League reigning champions Al Hilal will also face a tough task away to on-form Mamelodi Sundowns at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium I South Africa.
But after camping in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for over two weeks where they played friendly matches against Namungo FC, Azam FC and Simba SC, Al Hilal coach Florent Ibenge says his team is well tuned for this battle.
“We know Sundowns is an experienced team that has won the Champions League before, but we are here for a serious mission,” added the experienced Ibenge.
Another team from Sudan Al Merriekh who have got all the experience playing at this level will play a Group D match away to Esperance de Tunis in Tunisia.
The three teams from CECAFA Zone will hope to make a good start of their campaign, after Uganda’s Vipers SC failed to get a good result away from home on Friday night in Morocco.
Vipers SC suffered a 5-0 defeat to Raja Casablanca in Morocco in a Group C tie that was played behind closed doors since CAF banned the hosts from having fans in the Stadium because of unsporting behavior.
Hamza Khabba, Jamal Harkass and Mohamed Zrida gave the home side a 3-0 half time lead. Yousri Bouzok and Roger Aholou added two second half goals to ensure the Moroccan side picked a big win.
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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