CAF Champions League
Simba SC join Young Africans in CAF Champions League quarters
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)
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)
-
CAF Champions League5 months agoYoung Africans draw Al Ahly for CAF Champions League group stage
-
CAF African Nations Championship2 years agoAfrican Nations Championship 2025 dates announced
-
CAF African Nations Championship8 months agoCHAN 2024: Kenya lead group, to face Madagascar in quarter final stage
-
CECAFA11 years agoBotswana beats Kenya in African Youth Championships
-
FIFA WOrld Cup Qualifiers7 months agoUganda win, Tanzania pick late draw in FIFA World Cup qualifiers
-
FIFA U-17 World Cup 20255 months agoUganda ejects Senegal to storm FIFA U-17 World Cup round of 16
-
NEWS5 years agoYoung Africans SC face Nyasa Big Bullets in CECAFA Kagame Cup kick-off
-
Top stories6 years agoWe need to win the first match against Coronavirus – Infantino