Sudan Premier League reigning champions Al Hilal are the first team to book a quarter final slot in the on-going 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Coach Folrent Ibenge’s team battled to to a 1-1 draw against MC Alger in a Group A match played on Sunday at the Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium in Nouakchott, Mauritania.

Sofiane Bayazid gave the Algerian side an early 5^th minute lead, but the Al Hilal fought back strongly to level matters through Jean Claued Girumugisha. The Burundian International dribbled past two defenders and unleashed a hard shot that the MC Alger goalkeeper failed to stop.

The draw saw Al Hilal kept top of the table with 10 points and qualify for the knock out stage with two more matches to spare.

“We are very happy that we managed to keep pushing despite conceding an early goal. The players have worked hard to get the draw and qualify for the next stage,” said Ibenge.

Al Hilal who are playing all their matches away from home because of the political unrest in Sudan have won three group matches and drawn once.

The Sudan side will next host Tanzania’s Young Africans SC on January 12^th, 2025, before they play the last match against TP Mazembe six days later in Lubumbashi.

Sudan giants Al Hilal have continued with their winning ways in the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Group A campaign.

Coach Florent Ibenge’s side stunned hosts MC Alger 1-0 with Guessouma Fofana scoring the lone goal after 76 minutes in Algiers, Algeria on Saturday night.

The win keeps Al Hilal comfortably top of the log with nine points after they had also stopped Young Africans SC 2-0 in Dar es Salaam and defeated TP Mazembe 2-1 in a match played in Mauritania a week ago.

“I am very happy that my players remained focused and collected the three points. We need to keep focused because we still have more games to go,” said Ibenge after the match.

In an earlier Group A match Tanzania’s Young Africans SC picked their first point in the Group stage after a 1-1 draw away to TP Mazembe in Kinsasha.

Substitute Cheick Fofana gave TP Mazembe the lead after 41 minutes, but Zimbabwean International Prince Dube leveled matters in the dying minutes of the game.

While Al Hilal have now collected 9 points, MC Alger are second with 4 points. TP Mazembe are in third place with 2 points, while Young Africans SC only have 1 point and are bottom of the log.

Sudan’s Al Hilal have stopped TP Mazembe 2-1 to maintain their winning run in Group A of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

After shocking Young Africans SC 2-0 in the opening match played in Dar es Salaam a week ago, Al Hilal made sure they collected another straight win against DR Congo giants in a match played on Sunday at the Cheikha Ouid Boidiya Stadium in Mauritania.

Al Hilal were awarded a penalty after 22 minutes, and Mohamed Abdel Rahman made no mistake from the spot to make it 1-0.

After recess TP Mazembe pushed forward and leveled matters after 64 minutes through Oscar Kabwit Tshikomb. Substitute Jean Claude Girumigisha came to the rescue to ensure Al Hilal collected maximum points with a winning goal one minute of added time.

“It was a very tough match. But I am happy that my players concentrated till the end of the match,” said a happy Al Hilal coach Florent Ibenge after the match.

Group A table leaders Al Hilal will next travel to face Algeria’s MC Alger on December 14^th, while Young Africans SC play away to TP Mazembe in DR Congo.

Tanzanian Premier League reigning champions Young Africans SC will be hoping to return to winning ways when the face MC Alger in a 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Group A tie on Saturday.

The tricky encounter will take place at the Stade du 5 Juillet in the capital Algiers

After losing their opening Group A match 2-0 to Sudan’s Al Hilal in Dar es Salaam last weekend, Young Africans SC’s new coach Sead Ramovic will be hoping that his team can return strongly.

“We need to be very cautious because the match is away from home and we must play better than we played against Al Hilal,” says Ramovic.

“We are coming up against a difficult team with many experienced players but we also have a side with very good players too. We are under pressure after losing our first game but that also gives us the strength to prepare well for tomorrow’s encounter,” added the coach.

While Young Africans SC suffered defeat in their opening Group A match, MC Alger picked a goalless draw away to TP Mazembe in DR Congo.

Group A table leaders Al Hilal will return to action against TP Mazembe on Sunday in a match they will hosts at the Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium, Nouakchott in Mauritania.