Burundi’s Premier League reigning champions Aigle Noir C.S will face giants Al Ahly in the second qualifying round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Aigle Noir ejected Djibouti’s ASAS on away goals’ rule after a 1-1 draw on aggregate in the first preliminary round.

It will be the first time that Aigle Noir play in that stage and will host the Egyptian side Al Ahly in the renovated National Stadium in Bujumbura next month in the first round.

Tanzania’s Simba SC who ejected Gaborone United (Botswana) 2-1 on aggregate will face Nsingizini Hotspurs Fc in the second qualifying round. The Eswatini side saw off Simba Bhora FC from Zimbabwe 3-0 on aggregate.

Kenya Police FC who lost the return leg 2-0 to Mogadishu City FC, but qualified on more goals scored away rule after the two team’s ties 3-3, will face Sudan’s Al Hilal SC in the next round.

After settling for a goalless draw in the first leg against South Sudan’s Jamus SC, Al Hilal managed to win the return leg 1-0 with Claude Jean Girumugisha scoring the lone goal in a match played at the New Amaan Stadium on Zanzibar on Sunday.

Tanzania giants Young Africans SC who ejected Wiliete FC 3-0 on aggregate will fancy their chances of making it to the group stage when they face Malawi’s Silver Strikers FC in the second preliminary round.

Uganda Premier League champions Vipers SC who played in the group stage in the 2022/2023 season will take on Power Dynamos FC in the second preliminary round. The Zambian ejected ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast) during penalty shoot-outs after a 1-1 draw on aggregate.

Ethiopian Insurance FC who eliminated Mlandege SC (Zanzibar) 4-3 on aggregate will also face the winner between Rwanda’s APR FC (Rwanda) and defending champions Pyramids FC (Egypt).

Meanwhile Sudan’s El Merriekh lost 1-0 to Saint-Eloi Lupopo in the first leg of the first preliminary round, while APR FC will host Pyramids on October 1^st in Kigali.

New comers Jamus SC have held Sudan giants Al Hilal SC to a goalless draw in the first leg of the first preliminary round of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

The South Sudan Premier League champions were making their first appearance in Africa’s biggest Club competition.

New signing Jude Ssemugabi from Uganda started for Jamus SC and kept the Al Hilal SC defenders on their toes at the Juba National Stadium in a match played on Sunday.

After 22 minutes the Ugandan International thought he would earn a penalty after an Al Hilal SC defender entangled with him in the box, but the referee waved otherwise.

Shabani Kagayo thought he had put Jamus SC ahead when he beat Al Hilal SC goalkeeper Soufiane Farid after 44 minutes, but a defender was on time to clear the line.

In the second half Al Hilal SC pushed forward and dictated the flow of the match with Ahmed Salem and Jean Claude Girumugisha causing the Jamus SC defenders all sorts of challenges.

Jamus SC cheered on by the local fans absorbed the pressure by Al Hilal SC as the match ended goalless. The return leg at the New Amaam Stadium in Zanzibar on September 28^th.

Laurentiu Aurelian Reghecampf, the Al Hilal SC coach said that his team did not play really well. “We did not control the match well. We must improve ahead of the return leg,” he added.

In another match played in the CECAFA Zone, Burundi’s Aigle Noir were held to a goalless draw by ASAS Telecom from Djibouti. On Saturday Ethiopian Insurance picked a 2-0 win against Mlandege FC (Zanzibar), while Kenya Police FC defeated Mogadishu City Club SC 3-1 in Nairobi. Tanzania Premier League side Simba SC also picked an important 1-0 away win against Botswana’s Gaborone United.

Two teams from the CECAFA Zone Vipers SC and Young Africans SC made winning starts in the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League campaign on Friday.

The Uganda Premier League reigning champions Vipers SC stopped African Stars FC (Namibia) 1-0 in the first leg first preliminary round match played at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa.

Hillary Mukundane netted Vipers SC’s lone goal after 13 minutes when he diverted a Karim Watamala shot.

Substitute Yunus Sentamu had the chance to make it 2-0 later in the game, but failed to finish in what looked easy when he rounded by the Africans Stars FC goalkeeper Michael James, but missed the target.

Tanzanian giants Young Africans SC also got to a perfect start seeing off Wiliete SC 3-0 away in Angola.

Aziz Andwabile broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute in Luanda, before Edmund John doubled the lead in the 72^nd. Prince Dube also got his name on the scoring board 11 minutes later.

Action continues on Saturday with veracious teams from the CECAFA Zone in action. Ethiopian Insurance FC will host Zanzibar’s Mlandege SC in Addis Ababa, while Mogadishu City Club play Kenya Police FC, and Simba SC (Tanzania) play away to Gaborone Utd.

Two teams from the CECAFA Zone Young Africans SC and Vipers SC will be the first teams to test action in the first preliminary round of the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League on Friday.

The Tanzanian Premier League giants Young African SC, fresh from winning the Community Shield will play away to debutants Wiliete Sport Club of Angola.

Romain Folz, the Young Africans SC head coach has made it clear that the team is going all out to try and get a comfortable win before the return leg.

“Our mission is to go and try and get a good win away in Angola, so that we make our work easier in the return leg in-front of our fans,” said Folz.

In Cape Town at the Atholone Stadium, Uganda Premier League champions Vipers SC will be in against against African Stars FC (Namibia).

Ivan Jacky Minnaert, the Vipers SC coach says his team is well prepared for the match. He made it clear that the International friendly matches they played in Rwanda against Police FC and Tanzania’s Azam FC also helped them shape up well.

“My team has prepared really well and we have players who are fresh from the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Cup. We are confident we shall get a positive result before hosting the Namibian team at home,” added Minnaert.

Vipers SC will look to the experience of midfielder Taddeo Lwanga who rejoined the team from Rwanda’s APR FC. The Club will also look to the foreign players signed last month, Kevin Dasylva Bady (DR Congo), Odili Chukwuma (Nigeria) and Liberian Mark Yallah.

Action continues on Saturday for CECAFA teams when Ethiopian Insurance FC host Zanzibar’s Mlandega FC, and Mogadishu Scity Club bttle Kenya Police FC in Nairobi.

Tanzania’s Simba SC will also be in action away to Gaborone Utd, and El Merriekh take on Saint Eloi Lupopo (DR Congo). Burundi champions Aigle Noir will host ASAS Djibouti Telecom, while Jamus SC (South Sudan) entertain Al Hilal on Sunday.