CAF Champions League
Tanzania’s Simba SC face tough Vipers hurdle in CAF Champions League
Tanzania’s Simba SC will face a tough test when they play away to Uganda’s Vipers SC in a Group C match of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League on Saturday night.
Although Simba have reached the group stage of the same tournament before and dropped out at the quarter final stage in the TotalEnergies Confederation Cup last season, the match at the St. Marys Stadium, Kitende provides a different test altogether.
Morocco’s Raja Casablanca top of the group with six points after wins against Vipers and Simba SC, while Horoya AC (Guinea) are second with 4 points. Vipers have only collected one point in their draw against Horoya last weekend, while Simba SC are bottom with no point.
Vipers SC’s new coach Beto Bianchi has defended his players, stating that despite their recent inability to secure positive results, they have been playing good football, and he believes that their hard work will eventually pay off.
“There is some form of pressure and my players need to relax and convert the many chances we create,” added the coach. The Vipers SC will look to skipper Milton Karisa to drive the team forward in search of their first win in the group stage.
But Roberto Oliviera, the Simba SC coach also made it clear that they are in Uganda to collect three points.
“We need to get three points to restore the morale of the team. But Vipers also has quality therefore we shall need to be careful,” added the Brazilian who left Vipers to join the Tanzanian side.
Meanwhile, the two Sudan Premier League sides Al Hilal and Al Merriekh picks vital wins in their respective groups in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League on Friday.
Al Hilal came from a goal down to beat hosts Coton Sport 2-1 in a match played at the Roumde Adjia Stadium in Garoua, Cameroon. Patient Wassou gave the hosts a 1-0 first half lead, but DR Congo International Makabi Lilepo netted a brace after the interval to make sure Al Hilal picked maximum points. The win sends them second on the log behind Mamelodi Sundowns who face Al Ahly.
Al Merriekh also picked a 1-0 win against Algeria’s CR Belouizdad in a Group D match played at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Libya. Brazilian striker Paulo Sergio netted a penalty after 32 minutes.
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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