CAF Champions League
Three CECAFA Zone teams storm Champions League group stage
Three teams from the CECAFA Zone have qualified to play in the group stage of the 2023/2024 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Tanzania’s Young Africans SC, last years’ TotalEnergies Caf Confederation Cup finalists stormed the group stage first after seeing off Al Merriekh (Sudan) 1-0 last Saturday and qualifying 3-0 on aggregate.
Miguel Gamondi, the Young Africans SC head coach said he was happy the players had worked hard to reach the group stage. ” Our people should be assured that we will come stronger in the group stage and try to play good football, ” added Gamondi.
Another Tanzanian side Simba SC, quarter finalists last season fought back to pick a 1-1 draw against Power Dynamos (Zambia) at the Azam Complex in Tanzania, and qualified on away goals rule since they had tied 3-3.
The Simba SC coach Roberto Oliviera ‘Robertinho’ also made it clear that although it was a tough struggle to get to the group stage, they will organise and be very competitive in the group stage. ” Our target is to go a step better than we did last season. ” added Oliveira.
Sudan’s Al Hilal also booked their ticket after seeing off Angola’s Primeiro de Agosto 2-1 in a match they hosted at the Ben M’Hamed El Abdi Stadium, El Jadida in Morocco. The Al Hilal team has been out of their base in Khartoum for several months since the war broke out in Sudan in April.
The 16 teams that made it to the group stage will await the draw to be conducted on October 6th, 2023. The 16 teams that qualified for the group stage include ; Young Africans SC, Simba SC (Tanzania), Al Hilal (Sudan), Wydad AC (Morocco), Esperance de Tunis, Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia), CR Belouizdad (Algeria), Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana), FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania), ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Petro de Luanda (Angola), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Pyramids, Al Ahly (Egypt), Medeama (Ghana)
Sudan giants Al Hilal SC have collected a point in their away Group C match against Saint Eloi Lupopo in a TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group stage.
Al Hilal SC settled for a 1-1 draw against the DR Congo side in a match played on Sunday at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi.
Abdel Rayomer silenced the local fans with a 12 minute strike to give Al Hilal the lead.
But the home side grew in confidence, and started creating good scoring opportunities. Petrus Aprocious leveled matters for Saint Eloi Lupopo after 79 minutes to send the fans wild.
The two sides continued to attack hoping to pick maximum points, but to no avail.
Al Hilal are second of Group C with 4 points, with Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) with the same number of points, but a better goal difference. MC Alger and Saint Eloi Lupopo each have one point.
In another game involving a team from the CECAFA Zone, Simba SC (Tanzania) suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Stade Malien in a Group D match played in Bamako.
Taddeus Nikeng Fomakwang and Ismaila Simpara scord for the hosts in the first half, while Neo Maema scored for Simba SC.
The Tanzanian side are now bottom of Group D after two straight defeats, while Petro de Luanda (Angola) and Stade Malien are tied on 4 points each, while ES Tunis have collected two points.
Tanzania Premier League giants Young Africans SC have picked their fourth point in the group stage of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Young Africans SC collected a vital point in a goalless draw away to JS Kabylie on Friday at the Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium in Algeria.
The draw sent Young SC Africans briefly top of Group B, before the second group match.
In the second match record winners Al Ahly (Egypt) picked a 1-1 draw away to AS FAR in Morocco.
Although Young Africans and Al Ahly have four points each, the Egyptians are top because of a better goal difference.
On Sunday two other teams from the CECAFA Zone will be in action. Sudan’s Al Hilal SC will play away to Saint-Eloi Lupopo in a Group C match in Lubumbashi, while Simba SC (Tanzania) also face Stade Malien (Mali) in a Group D match in Bamako.
Tanzania Premier League giants Young Africans SC have made a winning start in the group stage of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Young Africans SC defeated AS FAR (Morocco) 1-0 in their opening Group B match played at the New Amaan Complex on Saturday.
Prince Dube Mpumelelo netted the lone goal after 58 minutes in a hotly contested match. The Moroccan side tried to fight back, but failed to bet the well organized Young Africans Sc defending line.
Young Africans SC’s head coach Pedro Gonçalves who was only appointed in October this year said it was good to start the group stage with a win. “We still have a lot of work to do ahead of the many matches to be played,” added Goncalves.
The Tanzanian side are now second in the group after record winners Al Ahly (Egypt) later defeated JS Kabylie (Algeria) 4-1 in Cairo last night.
On Sunday another Tanzanian side Simba SC suffered a 1-0 home defeat to visiting Petro de Luanda (Angola) in a Group D match at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Bernardo Dias netted the lone goal after 78 minutes.
Sudan giants Al Hilal SC have made a winning start in the group stage of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The 10-man Al Hilal side stopped MC Alger (Algeria) 2-1 in the first Group C match played on Friday at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Skipper Abdelrazig Omer gave Al Hilal the lead at the stroke of half time after a good assist by Burundian International Jean-Claude Girumugisha.
After recess the visiting team piled pressure and attacked in numbers. The pressure paid off when Mustafa Karshom deflected the ball into his own net to make it 1-1 after 53 minutes. The defender deflected MC Alger’s Oussama Benhaoua’s hard shot.
Mohamed Abdelrahman was on target after 75 minutes to put Al Hilal ahead again. The Sudan team was reduced to 10-players after Salaheldin Alhassan was sent off with four minutes to full time.
Al Hilal opted to play their matches in Rwanda because of the unrest in Sudan. Al Hilal and El Merriekh have also been cleared to play in the 2025/2026 Rwanda Premier League.
Action returns on Saturday when Tanzanian giants Young Africans SC host AS FAR (Morocco) in a Group B match at the New Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar. On Sunday Simba Sc (Tanzania) will also be in action in a Group D match against Angola’s Petro de Luanda at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
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