CAF Champions League
Young Africans, El Merriekh, APR FC progress in CAF Champions League
Five teams from the CECAFA Zone have progressed to the 2nd preliminary round of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Somalia’s Dekedaha SC were the first to book a place and write their own history after losing 4-3 to Arta Solar 7 (Djibouti) on Friday, but qualified on a 5-3 aggregate. They will now face Esperance de Tunis from Tunisia at the next level.
El Merriekh who had battled to a goalless draw away to Al Nasr in the first leg in Libya were in scoring mood today when they picked a 2-0 victory in the return leg played at the Juba Stadium in South Sudan. Mohammed Qabbani netted in each half to ensure his team qualified for the next round.
Tanzania Premier League reigning champions Young Africans SC also sailed through comfortably with a 6-0 thrashing of Vital’O (Burundi) to qualify on a 10-0 goal aggregate. Zouzoua Pacome netted an early 14th minute penalty kick. Clement Nzize made it 2-0 as the game went to recess at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam.
Zambian international Clatous Chama, Prince Dube, Azizi Ki and Mudathir Yahya also got their names on the score sheet. Young Africans SC will now face Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in the 2nd preliminary round.
The debutants Commercial Bank of Ethiopia booked their place in the next stage on a 3-2 goal aggregate against Uganda’s SC Villa. The Ethiopian side picked a 2-1 win in Kampala, but the return leg played at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa on Saturday ended 1-1.
In Kigali at the Amahoro Stadium APR FC went all out and defeated Azam FC (Tanzania) 2-0 to qualify on a 2-1 goal aggregate. Jean Bosco Ruboneka and Gilbert Mugisha scored for APR FC. The Rwanda Premier League side will now face Pyramids (Egypt) who ejected JKU SC from Zanzibar.
Action continues on Sunday with Kenyan giants Gir Mahia hosting El Merriekh Bentiu from South Sudan at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, while Al Hilal (Sudan) also take on Al Ahly Benghazi (Libya) at the Juba Stadium in South 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)
Tanzanian side Young Africans SC have failed to qualify for the quarter final stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Young Africans delivered a good performance beating JS Kabylie (Algeria) 3-0 in a Group D match played on Sunday at the New Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
After a tightly contested first 30 minutes, Angolan import Laurindo Depu converted a penalty for the hosts after 36 minutes.
After the interval, the hosts intensified their dominance, pushing forward with greater urgency as they sought to strengthen their advantage.
But Depu struck again in the 63rd minute, finishing neatly from an Allan Okello assist to make it 2-0. Clatous Boka also got his name on the score sheet after 67 minutes.
The win pushed Young Africans SC to eight points, though the goalless draw between Al Ahly and AS FAR (Morocco) in Cairo meant that the two North African teams qualified for the knock out stage.
The other teams that have qualified for the quarter finals include; Al Hilal SC (Sudan), Mamelodi Sundowns FC (South Africa), Pyramids (Egypt) and RS Berkane (Morocco).
Sudan giants Al Hilal SC have stormed the quarter final stage on the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions league.
Al Hilal sealed their place after defeating the Democratic of Congo’s Saint Eloi-Lupopo 1-0 in their last Group C match played at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Steven Ebuela netted the lone goal after 26 minutes to ensure Al Hilal SC finished top of the group with 11 points.
In the other Group C match South African side Mamelodi Sundowns booked a place after stopping MC Alger (Algeria) 1-0 in a match played in Pretoria.
Tanzanian side Simba SC also completed their Group D matches with a 1-0 win against table leaders Stade Malien in a match played at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Anicet Oura scored the lone goal in the first half.
Simba SC bowed out after finishing bottom of the group with 5 points from six matches played.
On Sunday Tanzania Premier League reigning champions Young Africans SC will face an acid test in a Group D match against JS Kabylie (Algeria) at the New Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
Young Africans SC will be all out to try and collect a huge win and also hope that group leaders Al Ahly defeat Morocco AS FAR in Cairo.
Simba Sports Club collected a point away to Petro de Luanda after a 1-1 draw in Group D math of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League played on Saturday.
Pedro Manuel da Mota Pinto gave the home side a 13th minute lead at the 11th November Stadium in Luanda.
But the Tanzania Premier League side fought back strongly to equalize through their Ivorian forward Alain Anicent Oura after 81 minutes.
Simba SC remain bottom of the table I Group D with two points after five matches played. Mali’s Stade Malien top the table with 8 points from four matches played.
In another match Young Africans SC suffered a 1-0 defeat away to AS FAR in a Group B match played in Rabat, Morocco.
The two teams created several scoring opportunities from the start of the match, but the hosts made it count scoring after 85 minutes through Anas Bach.
The loss see Young Africans Sc drop to third place with 5 points, while AS FAR move to second place with 8 points. Al Ahly leads the table with 9 points.
Young Africans SC will next host JS Kabylie on February 15th at the New Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar, while Simba SC and Al Hilal SC take on Stade Malien and Saint Etoil Lupopo respectively on February 14th, 2026.
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