CAF Champions League
Sudan’s Al Merreikh motivated ahead of Al Ahly tie
The head coach of Al Merreikh Lee Clark has said his team is well motivated ahead of a TotalEnergies CAF Champions League match against reigning champions Al Ahly.
Fresh from stopping arch-rivals Al Hilal 2-1 in a Group A match played last week, Clark says his players are in very good shape and will be hungry to collect more points.
Al Ahly, beaten 1-0 last weekend by group leaders Mamelodi Sundowns will host Al Merreikh on March 5th in Cairo, Egypt.
“We have made a good start in the group with a draw and win. We need to keep working hard and improving on the weak points,” added Clark.
The Al Merreikh head coach made it clear that facing the experienced Al Ahly team is always not easy, but added that team work and taking their chances will be key. “They are a good side and we respect them. But we shall be in Cairo targeting maximum points,” added Clark.
Al Merreikh striker Mohamed Abdeirahman Yousif Yagoub, who netted a brace in the win against Al Hilal also says the team is in high spirits and looking forward to the next match. “It is always special playing Al Ahly and we are looking forward to match match,” he added.
South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns lead Group A with 7 points, while Al Merriekh are second on 4 points, Al Ahly who have only collected one point from two matches are third, and Al Hilal bottom of the log.
Sudan Premier League side Al Hilal are out of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Coach Florent Ibenge’s team lost 1-0 in their quarter final return leg against Al Ahly played at the Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium in Nouakchott, Mauritania.
The Egyptian giants qualified on a 2-0 goal aggregate having won the first leg 1-0.
After a goalless first half, Al Hilal piled lots of pressure, but failed to find the goals. Ali Abdalla came close after 63 minutes, but Al Ahly goalkeeper Taher Muhamed was quick to block the ball.
It was Emam Ashour who netted the lone goal for Al Ahly against the run of play after 80 minutes. against the run of play
Al Hilal’s defeat marked the end of a team from the CECAFA Zone in the competition. Another Egyptian side Pyramids also sailed through to the semi-final stage on a 4-3 goal aggregate.
Former champions Mamelodi Sundowns also made it through, while Orlando Pirates who carry a 1-0 advantage against MC Alger are yet to play the second leg.
The head coach of Al Hilal, Florent Ibenge has said his team must be at it’s best when they host Al Ahly in the return leg in the quarter final stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Ibenge’s team lost the first leg 1-0 in a match played at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday.
But Ibenge has made it clear they must be at their best and also use home advantage when they host Al Ahly on Tuesday at the Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium, Nouakchott in Mauritania.
“We know Al Ahly is a good team and we now know what to do in the return leg. It will not be an easy match, but we need to be sharper at the front and also defend with a lot of caution,” added the experienced coach.
The Sudan Premier League giants who have had to play in the Mauritanian Premier League in the 2024/2025 season because of the political instability back home will count on the support in Nouakchott.
Al Hilal also boost of a fairly good record playing in Nouakchott winning against San Pedro (Ivory Coast) in the second round, against TP Mazembe and drawing against MC Alger in the Group stage, and suffering a 1-0 defeat to Tanzania’s Young Africans SC.
Al Hilal are the only team from the CECAFA Zone playing at the quarter final stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
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.
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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