CAF Champions League
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP DRAW: ENYIMBA AWAIT EGYPT, DR CONGO OPPONENTS
BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE.
Draw for the continent’s inter-club competitions – CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup – will be conducted this Monday evening in Cairo.
Group winners will be paired against runners-up, but teams that qualified from the same group will not go head-to-head.
Nigeria’s Enyimba, in the CAF Confederation Cup, will avoid Congo Brazzaville’s CARA Brazzaville, which finished behind the People’s Elephant in Group C. They will also not face Raja Casablanca and RS Berkane (both of Morocco) and USM Alger (Algeria).
Enyimba’s options in the quarterfinals will be limited to AS Vita Club (DR Congo), Al-Masry (Egypt) and Rayon Sports (Rwanda).
Vita Club had won the now rested African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1973 and were runners-up of that competition in 1981 and 2014, by which time it had been renamed CAF Champions League.
They finished behind Raja Casablanca in Group A of the competition this year winning three matches and drawing one from six matches.
The farthest Al-Masry had travelled in the continent were semi-final appearances in the African Cup of Winners Cup (1999) and the CAF Cup (2002).
The Egyptian side came second to RS Berkane in Group B of this year’s competition without any defeat, recording three victories and the same number of draws.
On their part, Rayon Sports crashed out in the quarterfinals of the 2002 CAF Cup. Seven appearances in the CAF Champions League have produced at best second round showing. They were runners-up to USM Alger in Group D this year pulling two wins and three draws.
Enyimba have an illustrious history in Africa, although that is fast receding into forgotten memory.
They are the most decorated club from Nigeria. Not only did they break the jinx by winning the country’s first CAF Champions League title in 2003, the team, inspired by the then Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, successfully defended the title in 2004.
CAF Champions League (¼ finalists):
Group winners: Al-Ahly (Egypt), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Étoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
Runners-up: Espérance (Tunisia), ES Sétif (Algeria), Horoya (Guinea), Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
CAF Confederation Cup (¼ finalists):
Group winners: Enyimba (Nigeria), Raja Casablanca (Morocco), RS Berkane (Morocco), USM Alger (Algeria)
Runners-up: AS Vita Club (DR Congo), Al-Masry (Egypt), CARA Brazzaville (Congo Republic), Rayon Sports (Rwanda)
CAF Champions League
CAF Champions League narrows to four teams
From the original 54 teams from 42 countries that began the race last year, the CAF Champions League has now narrowed to four teams as a whopping 50 have been eliminated.
The four elite clubs in the semi-finals are Al Ahly of Egypt, Esperance Sportive de Tunis of Tunisia, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and TP Mazembe of DR Congo.
Title holders and record champions Al Ahly are still on track to defend their title as they beat Simba SC in Cairo to secure their place while four-time winners Esperance Sportive de Tunis were made to labour hard against Asec Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire.
The reigning African Football League (“AFL”) Champions and 2025/16 winners Mamelodi Sundowns were pushed to the end by Tanzania’s Young Africans in South Africa.
Five-time winners TP Mazembe of DR Congo pulled one of the best performances this weekend with a 2-1 away win over Atletico Petroleos of Luanda after the first leg ended goalless.
The semis will be played on home and away basis on 19-20 April 2024 (first leg) with the Second Leg scheduled for 26-27 April 2024.
In the first semi-final, Al Ahly (Egypt) will play TP Mazembe (DR Congo) in what promises to be a thrilling encounter. Esperance Sportive de Tunis will play Mamelodi Sundowns in the second semi-final.
CAF will announce the dates and kick-off dates in due course.
CAF Champions League
Ahly Edge Closer To CL Semifinals With Narrow Victory Over Simba –
Egyptian giants Ahly took a significant stride towards securing a spot in the CAF Champions League semifinals following their hard-fought 1-0 win against Tanzania’s Simba on Friday, thanks to an early goal by midfielder Ahmed “Koka” Nabil.
Right from the start, the hosts launched relentless attacks, aiming to find an early breakthrough. However, Ahly’s resolute and well-organized defense thwarted all of their attempts.
Simba’s first notable chance came when midfielder Sadio Kanouté headed a cross from Clatous Chama following a corner, but his effort sailed over the bar from close range.
Just four minutes into the game, Ahly defender Mohamed Hany found himself in possession on the right side of Simba’s field. He cut inside and delivered a cross that was mishandled by the defense, leading to a powerful shot from Koka. The ball ricocheted off the head of the Simba goalkeeper, struck the post, and ultimately found the back of the net.
Despite Simba’s control of the match, as they pushed forward in search of an equalizer, Ahly’s solid defense and the heroics of goalkeeper Mostafa Shobier denied them any scoring opportunities. Ahly relied on swift counterattacks but their attempts to extend their lead fell short.
Shobier produced a magnificent save in the 39th minute, blocking Che Malone’s right-footed shot from the center of the box. He came to the rescue again just before halftime, denying Sadio Kanouté’s right-footed shot from the right side of the box and turning it into a corner.
In injury time, Shobier made another brilliant save, stopping Saïdi Ntibazonkiza’s close-range effort, which rebounded to Shomari Kapombe, who shot the ball high over the bar.
In the second half, Simba continued to dominate proceedings but failed to find the equalizing goal despite their persistent efforts.
Ahly coach Marcel Koller made a tactical double substitution in the 67th minute, introducing Reda Slim for Hussein El-Shahat and Taher Mohamed Taher in place of Percy Tau.
The move injected new energy into Ahly’s attack, with the Moroccan talisman creating two opportunities for the Red Devils.
Koller later made another double substitution, bringing on Kahraba for Modeste and Afsha for Attia.
In injury time, Kahraba had a chance to extend Ahly’s lead when he received a long ball from Afsha, but he struggled to control it. A minute later, Kahraba received a cross from Slim and entered the box, but once again his finishing touch eluded him.
With this narrow victory, Ahly now hold the advantage and move closer to securing a spot in the semifinals, with the second leg taking place in Cairo on Friday.
-Ahram
CAF Champions League
Oldest Club In Tunisia Looking At Reclaiming Continental Glory –
- Esperance Sportive de Tunis celebrating 105 years of existence
- Four continental titles to their name and looking to add their fifth
- Miguel Cardoso to possibly end continental trophy drought
It has been almost five years since Tunisian giants, Esperance Sportive de Tunis tasted continental success when they lifted the CAF Champions League trophy.
What was their fifth CAF Champions League title, has since been their last and for their high standards, this is something the Tunisians will be looking at overturning this season, starting with the two-legged Quarter-Finals clash with former champions Asec Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire.
With more than a 100-year history, the oldest club in Tunisia famous for its red and yellow is certainly one to look out for in this season’s edition of the CAF Champions League as they kick start their knockout stage on Friday 29 March with the return leg in Abidjan scheduled for 05 April.
Brief History
Esperance Sportive de Tunis was formed in 1919 and is regarded as the oldest football club in Tunisia, with 105 years to their rich history. They play their home matches at the Stade Hammadi Agrebi in Brades which boasts 60 000 capacity seating.
Local titles
Esperance Tunis is considered the most decorated club in Tunisia, having won the local league title 32 times, the Tunisian Cup 15 times, and the Tunisian Super Cup 6 times.
Continental journey
The Tunisians have four CAF Champions League titles as well as one CAF Super Cup which dates back to 1995.
Coach: Miguel Cardoso
Esperance appointed Portuguese coach, Miguel Cardoso in January. The 51-year-old brings a wealth of experience to the club, having worked in several clubs as an assistant coach. These include Braga SC, Sporting Lisbon, Deportivo La Coruña and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Key player: Mohamed Amin Tougai
The Algerian defender, Mohamed Amine Tougai, is considered the pillar of strength in the Tunisian defense since joining the club back in 2019. Strong and good in arial duels, Tougai will be instrumental in helping his team keep clean sheets in these crucial stages of the competition.
-CAF
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