CAF Champions League
HOLDERS ESPERANCE FIRST TO REACH CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST-EIGHT
Trophy-holders Esperance of Tunisia became the first qualifiers for the CAF Champions League quarter-finals after a routine 2-0 home win over Horoya of Guinea in Group B Friday.
Malian Hamed Assoko conceded an own-goal midway through the first half to put the three-time African champions ahead at the Stade Olympique in the Tunis suburb of Rades.
Esperance needed a second goal to be sure of success and it arrived seven minutes from time through Cameroonian midfield enforcer Franck Kom.
Victory for the Tunisian outfit maintained the last unbeaten record in the competition this season and guaranteed they will top the final standings.
The disappointment of Horoya was diluted by news from the other end of the continent that Orlando Pirates of South Africa were surprisingly held 2-2 at home by FC Platinum of Zimbabwe.
Pirates’ failure to win in Soweto means they must take maximum points from an away fixture against Horoya in Conakry next Saturday to overtake the Guineans and finish second.
The top two finishers after six rounds in the four groups advance to the quarter-finals stage of the Champions League, the elite African club competition.
Esperance have 11 points after five rounds, Horoya seven, Pirates six and Platinum just two from their first group-phase appearance.
Horoya centre-back Assoko has scored four goals in the Champions League this season, but two have been own-goals with his latest misfortune coming in Tunisia.
Kom, a midfielder more accustomed to preventing goals than scoring them, netted his first of the campaign to ensure Esperance of a third consecutive two-goal home victory.
Given a bye to the group stage because of fixture congestion, the Tunisian club are hoping to become the first club since Al Ahly of Egypt in 2013 to achieve back-to-back titles.
A Platinum side without a win in six qualifying and group matches were given little chance of dodging defeat away to Pirates, the 1995 African champions.
But after Nelson Tigere missed a penalty, he put the Zimbabwean outfit ahead and Rainsome Pavori doubled the lead before half-time at Orlando Stadium.
Platinum retained the two-goal advantage until nine minutes from time when unmarked Thembinkosi Lorch beat goalkeeper Petros Mhari at his near post with a low drive.
The goal galvanised the Soweto Buccaneers and Zambian Augustine Mulenga slammed a loose ball into the net on 87 minutes to raise hopes of a dramatic victory.
Platinum survived a late onslaught, however, to end a run of three straight losses despite having centre-back defender Kevin Moyo red-carded.
Meanwhile, Group C leaders CS Constantine of Algeria surprisingly fell 1-0 at home to Club Africain of Tunisia and surrendered an eight-match unbeaten record.
Ismaily of Egypt dropped out of contention for a quarter-finals place after being held 1-1 at home by five-time champions TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Constantine (10 points), Mazembe (eight) and Africain (seven) are in the running to make the knockout phase with the odds favouring the Algerian and Congolese clubs.
- Cafonline
Egypt’s Pyramids claimed a deserved 2-1 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa. This led to a 3-2 aggregate success. They celebrated their first African Champions League title. This triumph occurred following the second leg of this year’s final at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Sunday.
The first leg in Pretoria finished 1-1. Fiston Mayele gave Pyramids the lead on 23 minutes. He profited from a Sundowns defensive error. Ahmed Samy doubled the advantage on 56 minutes. He scored with a header from a free-kick.
Sundowns pulled a goal back through Iqraam Rayners with 15 minutes remaining. One more goal would have given them victory in the tie on the away goals rule. However, Pyramids held firm despite heavy pressure from the visitors.
Pyramids are the fourth Egyptian side to lift the Champions League trophy after record 12-time winners Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Ismaily. Meanwhile, 2016 champions Sundowns head to this month’s Club World Cup in the United States on a low note.
-Reuters
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- 1. Pyramids aim to become the first new CAF Champions League winner since Sundowns (2016), the 13th in the modern era, and the 27th overall.
- 2. This is the 19th Champions League-era final featuring an Egyptian club. Previous teams (Al Ahly 10, Zamalek 1) have won 11 titles.
- 3. Including the pre-Champions League era, this is the 29th final for an Egyptian club, with 18 wins and 10 losses.
- 4. Pyramids have played only 1 of their last 9 matches at home but are unbeaten in their last 23 home games this season (W19 D4) and last 28 overall (W24 D4).
- 5. Pyramids scored in 22 of 23 home games this season; the only blank was a 0-0 draw vs Al Masry.
- 6.This season, they’ve won all 7 home matches, scoring 26 and conceding 6, with one clean sheet. In total, they’ve lost just 1 of 11 home matches in the competition.
- 7. Fiston Mayele leads with 8 goals in 12 matches (5 since group stage); Ibrahim Adel has 6 (also 5 post-group stage).
- 8. Ramadan Sobhi has 5 assists in 9 games (joint-most), plus 2 goals. He’s had major impact off the bench twice.
- 9. Askary Chibi has created 20 chances since the group stage — the most for Pyramids.
- 10. Pyramids have kept 3 clean sheets this season, all away, but remain dominant at home
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- 1. Sundowns are in their third CAF Champions League final (2001, 2016, 2024).
- 2. South African Record: First South African club to reach three finals, surpassing Orlando Pirates (2).
- 3. Sundowns hosted the first leg in all three finals. In 2001, they drew 1-1 at home and lost 2-0 away to Al Ahly.
- 4. Sundowns beat Zamalek 3-0 at home, lost 1-0 away, and won 3-1 on aggregate.
- 5. Sundowns have never scored in an away leg of a Champions League final, conceding five in total.
- 6. The current final marks the second time Sundowns led at home and failed to win (also in 2001).
- 7. A defeat would make Sundowns the first South African side to lose two finals.
- 8. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 10 matches vs Egyptian opposition (4wins and 6 draws).
- 9. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 4 visits to Egypt (2 wins and 2 draws).
- 10. A win would make Sundowns the first team since Al Ahly (2012) to win the title after failing to win the home leg.
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