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CAF Champions League

Simba SC join Young Africans in CAF Champions League quarters

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Simba Sports Club have qualified for the quarter final of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League for a second straight season.

Coach Abdelhak Benchikha’s side were in great form humbling Botswana’s Janweng Galaxy FC 6-0 in a Group B match played at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday evening.

Simba SC who needed nothing less than a win scored through Saidi Ntibazonkiza, Pape Omar Jobe, Dennis Kibu, Clatous Chama, Ladaki Chasami and Fabrice Ngoma to make sure they picked the three vital points.

“I am very happy that the players responded so well and gave their best to win this important match. We now need to plan well for the quarter final stage,” said a happy Benchikha after the match on Saturday.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan went on to congratulate Simba SC for registering yet another achievement. “Congratulations to Simba Club for successfully qualifying for the quarter-finals of the African Champions League. Your success is not only joy and pride for the fans and members of the Lions Club, but also for the Nation and all Tanzanians,” said the President.

Simba SC finished second in Group B behind Ivory Coast’s ASEC Mimosas. Another Tanzanian side Young Africans SC who also booked a quarter final slot last weekend lost 1-0 away to Al Ahly in a Group D match played in Cairo on Friday.

Another team from the CECAFA Zone Al Hilal from Sudan lost their last Group C match 1-0 away to ES Tunis on Saturday to finish third in the group.

It will also be the first time that two teams from the CECAFA Zone play at the quarter final stage of the CAF Champions League in the same season.

Last season Simba SC fell out in the quarter final stage, while Young Africans SC lost in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederations Cup.

Teams that qualified for the quarter final stage

Group A: Memelodi Sundowns (South Africa), TP Mazembe (DR Congo)

Group B: ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast), Simba SC (Tanzania)

Group C: Esperance (Tunisia), Petro Atletico (Angola)

Group D: Al Ahly (Egypt), Young Africans SC (Tanzania)

CAF Champions League

Sudan’s Al Hilal ready for Al Ahly test in Champions League quarter final

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Sudan giants Al Hilal are set to face Egypt’s Al Ahly in the first leg of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday night.

Florent Ibenge, the Al Hilal coach has made it clear that the first leg will be very important because it sets the ground for the return leg.

“We know that Al Ahly are a big team that has won several trophies on the continent, but we have tactically prepared and know how we must handle the match. This round is won over two legs and that is what we have prepared for,” says Ibenge.

Although Al Hilal have been disadvantaged to play all their home matches away from Khartoum because of the political instability back in Sudan, they have showed stability and only lost two matches in all 10 matches they have played in the initial stages going into the quarter final.

Al Hilal, the only team in the CECAFA Zone playing in the quarter final stage will look to skipper Muhamed Abdelrahman to lead the team in hunt for goals together with Adam Coulibaly and Burundian International Jean Claude Girumugisha.

To reach the quarter final stage Al Hilal ejected Al Ahly Benghazi (Libya) and San Pedro (Ivory Coast) in the first and second rounds respectively. They went on to top Group A that MC Alger (Algeria), Young Africans SC (Tanzania) and DR Congo’s TP Mazembe.

The other quarter final matches to be played on Tuesday include Pyramids facing AS FAR, Mamelodi Sundowns battling against Esperance de Tunis, and MC Alger taking on Orlando Pirates.

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CAF Champions League

Sudan’s Al Hilal to face giants Al Ahly in CAF Champions League quarter final

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Sudan’s Al Hilal have been drawn to face reigning champions Al Ahly at the quarter final stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

The draw of Africa’s most prestigious club tournament was conducted on Thursday at the beIN studio in Doha, Qatar.

Al Hilal are the only team from the CECAFA Zone to make it to the quarter final stage after Young Africans SC from Tanzania dropped out in the group stage.

Despite the political conflict in Sudan which forced Al Hilal handled by Florent Ibenge to play outside the country, they managed to top the group.

Incase Al Hilal eliminate the 12-time champions Al Ahly, they will face the winner between Mamelodi Sundowns and Esperance Sportive de Tunis at the semi-final stage.

The other two quarter final ties will see Pyramids FC (Egypt) take on AS FAR (Morocco), while Algeria’s MC Alger of Algeria face another South African side Orlando Pirates.

Matches at the quarter-final stage will be played over two legs, with the first leg scheduled for April 1st, 2025 and the return leg on April 8th.

Quarter finals

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)

Al Ahly SC (Egypt) vs Al Hilal SC (Sudan)

MC Alger (Algeria) vs Orlando Pirates (South Africa)

Pyramids FC (Egypt) vs AS FAR (Morocco)

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CAF Champions League

Young Africans SC miss out on CAF Champions League knock out stage

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Tanzania Premier League side Young Africans SC have failed to book a place in the quarter-final stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Young Africans SC needed nothing less than victory against MC Alger in the last group match played in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, but settled for a goalless draw.

Coach Sead Ramovic’s team revived their hopes last weekend after defeating table leaders Al Hilal (Sudan) 1-0 in an away match played in Mauritania. The draw against the Algerian side meant that they finished third in the group with 8 points.

In the second Group A match played in DR Congo, bottom placed TP Mazembe shocked Al Hilal 4-0. Jean Diouf and Ibrahim Keita gave TP Mazembe a 2-0 half time lead.

After the interval Merceil Ngimbi Vumbi increased the lead, and Suleman Shaibu converted a late penalty to make it 4-0.

Al Hilal finished top with 10 points, while MC Alger came second with 9 points and TP Mazembe bottom with 5 points.

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CAF Champions League

Young Africans SC revenge against Al Hilal in CAF Champions League

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Young Africans SC have picked a 1-0 win away to Al Hilal to improve their chances of qualifying for the knock-out stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Stephane Aziz Ki netted the only goal after 7 minutes in the  Group A match played on Sunday at the Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium in Nouakchott, Mauritania.

The Tanzanian side who lost their opening Group match 2-0 to the same Sudan team last year made sure they picked the revenge as they dominated most of the match.

Although Al Hilal have already qualified for the quarter final stage with 10 points, Young Africans SC closed the gap as they moved to 7 points, one behind second placed MC Alger from Algeria.

Young Africans SC will now need to register a win in their last Group A match against MC Alger on January 18th, 2025 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Last year Tanzanian sides Young Africans SC and Simba SC reached the quarter-final stage.

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