CAF Champions League

EGYPT’S AL AHLY SET TO RECONFIRM CONTINENTAL DOMINACE

Published

6 years ago

November 1, 2018

When Egyptian giants, Al Ahly, enter the pitch on Friday for the 2018 CAF Champions League final encounter against North African rivals Esperance of Tunisia, the Red Devils will be backing on the decent form of their veteran winger Walid Soliman.nn nnSince joining Al Ahly from domestic side ENPPI in 2011, Soliman enjoyed Champions League glory with the club in 2012 and 2013.nn nnHe scored the decisive goal in the aggregate 3-2 victory over Esperance when both sides clashed in the 2012 final.nn nnSoliman also won three more CAF titles with the club, namely 2 CAF Super Cups (2013 and 2014) and the 2014 CAF Confederation Cup.nn nnBut it’s this year that saw Soliman rising to “No. 1 star” rank within the Red Devils squad. After seeing legend Mohamed Abu Treika retiring in 2013, Soliman did his job well, but being overshadowed by the likes of Emad Moteab, Abdullah Elsaid and others.nn nnThis year saw Moteab also retiring, with Elsaid shifting his career to Saudi Arabia to similar name bearers Al Ahly of Jeddah.nn nnSoliman scored in the 1/16th round against CF Mounana of Gabon, then missed a penalty in the 2-0 defeat at Uganda’s KCCA that saw Ahly deemed to bottom of their mini league stage group. But since French coach Patrica Carteron arrived, the 33 years old winger proved to be the team’s superstar.nn nnA goal against Horoya of Guinea in the quarterfinals, and two more in both legs against Algeria’s ES Setif in the semis, in addition to two more assists proved Soliman to be the “Top Gun” within Ahly ranks this term. and he remains the fans favorite as his side prepares to their second successive appearance in the final, hoping to better their runner-ups finish last year.nn nn”I always do my best for the team. I never think of personal achievements, just the welfare of the team concerns me all the time”, said Soliman who is considered one of the team veterans, alongside skipper Hossam Ahsour and right back Ahmed Fathy.nn nnStarting his career as a left full back with Haras El Hodood in 2004, Soliman moved to then second tier side El Gouna in the next season, before moving to Suez based Petrojet in 2006.nn nnProving his quality there, he was always linked to a move to his childhood beloved club Al Ahly, but that was never turned into reality.nn nnHe has a stint abroad in Saudi Arabia with Al Ahly Jeddah, before moving to ENPPI in 2010, after his former club refused several transfer requests from the Red Devils then.nn nn”I almost had a nervous breakdown. Before a league game against Al Ahly with ENPPI, Ahly supporters called me and chanted my name, I was almost in tears. But I did my best with ENPPI, and at the end of the 2010-11 season, my dream finally came true”, added Soliman who had 27 caps with The Pharaohs.nn nnIn August 2011 Soliman joined Al Ahly for a reported 1.2 million US dollars fee then. And he never failed to win the hearts of die-hard Ahly fans. In seven seasons with the club, he won 4 Egyptian Premier League titles, 1 Egypt Cup, 4 Egypt Super Cups, plus five CAF titles (2 CAF Champions League titles, 1 CAF Confederation Cup and 2 CAF Super Cup trophies).nn nnBut this year means a lot more to the “No. 11” shirt holder, as he wishes for another Champions League glory in the infamous red shirt. “I am an Ahly supporter before being a team player.nn nn“We will do our best to win the trophy as a gift for our beloved fans”, concluded Soliman.

CAF Champions League

CAF Champions League draw offers mixed luck for Nigerian clubs says AFP report

Published

2 weeks ago

July 15, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Nigerian clubs Enugu Rangers and Remo Stars had mixed luck when the draws for the 2025 CAF Champions League qualifying rounds were made in Cairo on Thursday.

Enugu, back in the elite African club competition for the first time since 2017, should be too strong for Zilimadjou from the Comoros in the first round during August.

Assuming they clear that obstacle, Rangers would meet Saint Louis of the Seychelles or Esperanca Sagrada of Angola in September, and be favoured to succeed again and secure a group-stage place.

Every contender aspires to qualify for the 16-club mini-league phase as that is where prize money kicks in with minimum prize money of $700,000 (645,000 euros).

Remo, whose first Champions League appearance ended in the first round last season, must have hoped for an easier start than former title-holders FAR Rabat of Morocco.

Despite losing Tunisian coach Noureddine Nabi to South African outfit Kaizer Chiefs, FAR look capable of going far in a competition they won 39 years ago.

Remo or FAR will face a Libyan club yet to be named or vastly experienced African campaigners Al Merrikh of Sudan in the second round.

The last Nigerian winners of the Champions League were Enyimba in 2005.

Orlando Pirates, the first South African club to be crowned African champions, were drawn against debutants Disciples of Madagascar.

That seems a winnable tie for the Soweto outfit, who would then tackle African Stars of Namibia or Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana.

Galaxy stunned Pirates in the second round last season, winning on penalties in South Africa after both achieved 1-0 victories at home.

The Botswana team then caused an even bigger shock by defeating three-time CAF champions Wydad Casablanca in Morocco before fading and finishing bottom of a group.

Kenyan club Gor Mahia, who won the now defunct African Cup Winners Cup in 1987, will be expected to get past Merreikh Bentiu from South Sudan.

But success in the second round is unlikely as Gor would face record 12-time champions and title-holders Al Ahly of Egypt.

After back-to-back final victories over Wydad Casablanca and Esperance of Tunisia, Ahly are hoping to become the first club to win the Champions League three times in a row.

The other Egyptian entrants, expensively-assembled Pyramids, could face AZAM of Tanzania in a last-32 tie.

Pyramids must first get past JKU of Zanzibar while AZAM were paired in the opening round with perennial underachievers APR of Rwanda, who have been busy bolstering their squad.

-AFP

CAF Champions League

New Champions League season kicks off with high-stakes preliminary round matches

Published

2 weeks ago

July 12, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Contenders aiming to succeed Al Ahly as title holders of the CAF Champions League discovered their opponents on Thursday when the draw for the preliminary stage was held at the CAF headquarters in Cairo on Thursday.

With 54 matches scheduled to be played some exciting clashes are expected with the game between ambitious Arta Solar of Djibouti and Somalia’s Dekadaha FC set to draw attention.

Young Africans of Tanzania will face off against Burundi’s Vital’o FC while FC Nouadhibou will have to manage a challenging away match against Guinea’s Milo FC.

Al Ahly, Espérance de Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns, Atlético Petroleos, Young Africans, and TP Mazembe are exempted from preliminary round.

The winner of the duel between El Merreikh and Gor Mahia FC will face Al Ahly, the titleholder.

Espérance of Tunisia will meet the winner of the clash between Arta Solar and Dekadaha FC in the next round. The winner of the encounter between Swallows and Fer Da Beira will clash with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Similarly, the winner of the match between Ngezi Platinium and AS Maniema will compete against Atlético Petroleos. The last exempted team, TP Mazembe, will face the winner of the match between Nyasa Big Bullets and Red Arrows.

The second round of the preliminary phases of the Champions League is scheduled for September 13-15 for the first leg matches and September 20-22 for the return legs.

Preliminary Round First Leg Matches of the Champions League

M1 & 2: El Merreikh (South Sudan) vs. Gor Mahia (Kenya)

M3 & 4: Arta Solar (Djibouti) vs. Dekadaha (Somalia)

M5 & 6: SC Villa Jogoo (Uganda) vs. Commercial Bank (Ethiopia)

M7 & 8: Vital’O FC (Burundi) vs. Young Africans (Tanzania)

M9 & 10: Azam FC (Tanzania) vs. APR FC (Rwanda)

M11 & 12: JKU SC (Tanzania) vs. Pyramids (Egypt)

M13 & 14: M. Swallows (Eswatini) vs. Fer Da Beira (Mozambique)

M15 & 16: Ngezi Platinum (Zimbabwe) vs. AS Maniema (DR Congo)

M17 & 18: Nyasa Big Bullets (Malawi) vs. Red Arrows FC (Zambia)

M19 & 20: African Stars (Namibia) vs. Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana)

M21 & 22: Disciples FC (Madagascar) vs. Orlando Pirates (South Africa)

M23 & 24: US Zilimadjou (Comoros) vs. Rangers FC (Nigeria)

M25 & 26: St Louis (Seychelles) vs. GDSE (Angola)

M27 & 28: AS Douanes (Burkina Faso) vs. Coton Bénin (Benin)

M29 & 30: AS Leopards (Congo) vs. CR Belouizdad (Algeria)

M31 & 32: Victoria UTD (Cameroon) vs. FC Samartex (Ghana)

M33 & 34: ASGNN (Niger) vs. Raja Casablanca (Morocco)

M35 & 36: AS PSI (Chad) vs. US Monastir (Tunisia)

M37 & 38: Watanga FC (Liberia) vs. MC Alger (Algeria)

M39 & 40: Red Star (Central African Republic) vs. Djoliba de Bamako (Mali)

M41 & 42: CD Mongomo (Equatorial Guinea) vs. Asko de Kara (Togo)

M43 & 44: Stade d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) vs. Teungueth FC (Senegal)

M45 & 46: Milo FC (Guinea) vs. FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania)

M47 & 48: Bo Rangers (Sierra Leone) vs. San Pedro (Côte d’Ivoire)

M49 & 50: Libyan Club 2 vs. Al Hilal (Sudan)

M51 & 52: Libyan Club 1 vs. El Merreikh (Sudan)

M53 & 54: Remo Stars (Nigeria) vs. AS Far (Morocco)

With the stage set and teams ready, the new season of the CAF Champions League promises thrilling encounters and intense competition as clubs vie for the ultimate continental glory.

-CAF

CAF Champions League

Titanic battles ahead of Remo Stars in Champions League

Published

2 weeks ago

July 11, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

It will not be a bed of roses for Remo Stars as they begin another continental campaign next month.

Of the four Nigerian clubs engaged in continental inter-clubs competition, they have the most challenging tasks. Remo Stars are drawn against old adversaries and more experienced Association sportive des Forces armées royales (AS FAR) of Morocco.

AS FAR eliminated Remo Stars, 2-1 on aggregate, in the first round of the CAF Confederation Cup two years ago.

In the new season, Remo Stars will host AS FAR in Ikenne on Sunday August 18. This is the first time the club will play first leg match first since they debuted in continent in 2022. The return leg will be in Rabat on 24 August.

Should Remo Stars overcome the Moroccans, they will play the winner of the yet to be named Libyan club and Sudan’s Al Merreikh.

AS FAR, a military outfit, has always been a hard nut for Nigerian teams to crack.

Remo Stars will be on vengeance mission for most big clubs from Nigeria who have been eliminated from continental championship by the soldier footballers from Morocco.

Of the five Nigerian clubs that have had confrontations with AS FAR, only the former Iwuanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland) ever prevailed.

That was in the semi-finals of the old-styled Champions League edition of 1988 when the Nigerian side won 5-3 on penalties after a 4-4 aggregate scores.

Also in the 2009 Champions League, Iwuanyanwu Nationale ousted the Moroccans after winning 3-1 at home and forcing a 1-1 draw in Rabat in the second round of the competition.

Before then, AS FAR eliminated Stationery Stores at the quarter-finals of the 1968 edition. The game went through three legs

Stores won the first leg 1-0 in Lagos but lost the return match in Rabat 2-1. Away goal rule was not in operation at the time.