CAF Champions League
NO ‘FINAL FOUR’ EVENT FOR CAF CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has ditched plans to have a ‘final four’ event for this year’s Champions League to be played in one country.
It means the semi-finals, which are both Morocco against Egypt as Al Ahly play Wydad Casablanca and Zamalek take on Raja Casablanca, will go ahead with matches home and away.
The first leg matches will now be played on 25 and 26 September in Morocco and the second legs a week later in Egypt.
It will be a busy few days for Morocco who will be hosting a mini tournament for the semi-finals and final of the Confederation Cup in the same week.
A venue for the one-off final is yet to be decided and will depend on who reaches the final, which is due to be played on 16 or 17 October.
“In the principle of fairness, the final will be played at a neutral venue in the event a team from Egypt and Morocco qualify from the semis,” CAF explained in a statement.
“Consequently, the bidding process has been opened to Member Associations excluding Egypt and Morocco for the hosting of a one-off final.
“Interested Member Associations are to submit their bidding file including the venue for the match and the mandatory Government guarantee no later than 17 August 2020.
“In case the two Egyptian clubs or Moroccan clubs progress to the final, the one-off match will be played in either Egypt or Morocco with a proposed date of 16 or 17 October 2020.
“In that regard, the concerned Member Associations, Egyptian Football Association and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation have been issued a deadline of 15 August 2020 to confirm their availability.
“CAF will continue discussions with the various stakeholders on the possibilities of organizing the remaining matches of the Total CAF Champions League 2019/20 behind closed doors or otherwise.”
CAF had proposed ‘final four’ tournaments for both the Champions League and the Confederation Cup in response to football being suspended around the continent due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Confederation Cup, the second-tier continental club event, will continue as planned with a mini tournament in Morocco.
Both semi-finals will be a single match and both will be played on 22 September.
Egypt’s Pyramids will take on Horoya of Guinea in Casablanca while the Moroccan derby of Renaissance Berkane against Hassania Agadir will be played in Rabat.
Rabat will also host the final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on 27 September with all matches played behind closed doors.
CAF had hoped to organise a similar event for the Champions League but were left without host following the withdrawal of Cameroon Football Federation.
“In line with the principle of fairness, it was decided against hosting a final four in either Egypt or Morocco, whose representatives constitute the semi-finalists,” CAF said in a statement.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will conduct the quarter-final draws for the 2025/26 editions of its two flagship interclub competitions — the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup — on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo.
The CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final draw is scheduled to begin at 13:00 Cairo time (11:00 GMT), followed by the CAF Champions League quarter-final draw at 14:00 Cairo time (12:00 GMT).
The ceremonies will be broadcast live on CAF’s official YouTube platform, CAF TV, allowing fans across the continent and beyond to follow proceedings in real time.
Road to the Finals Takes Shape
The draws will determine not only the quarter-final pairings but also the pathway to the finals in both competitions, effectively mapping out the remaining knockout journey for Africa’s elite clubs.
With the group stages concluded, the quarter-finals mark the beginning of direct elimination football — a phase traditionally defined by tactical discipline, squad depth and mental resilience. Clubs will be keenly watching the draw to gauge potential heavyweight clashes or favourable routes to the semi-finals.
In the Champions League, former title holders and emerging contenders alike will be hoping to avoid early confrontations against continental heavyweights. Similarly, in the Confederation Cup, where competitive balance has grown in recent seasons, the draw could produce intriguing North-South or West-East showdowns.
Strategic Importance for Clubs
Beyond sporting prestige, progression to the latter stages of CAF competitions carries significant financial incentives, enhanced continental ranking points and increased global visibility. With African club football enjoying expanded broadcast reach and commercial partnerships, success in these tournaments has become both a sporting and economic objective.
Hosting the draws at the Egyptian FA headquarters in Cairo reinforces the city’s status as a nerve centre of African football administration, as clubs await clarity on their next assignments in what promises to be a decisive knockout phase of the 2025/26 campaign.
All eyes will now turn to Cairo as Africa’s road to continental glory becomes clearer.
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Moroccan side RS Berkane delivered a commanding 3–0 victory over Rivers United FC to book their place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Berkane imposed themselves early and broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Youssef Mehri fired into the bottom corner following a swift attacking move.
The hosts doubled their lead seven minutes later as Paul Valère Bassène finished clinically after being played through by Mounir Chouiar, leaving Rivers United with a mountain to climb before halftime.
The contest was effectively settled eight minutes into the second half. Bassène grabbed his second of the night in the 53rd minute, converting from close range after a corner to put the result beyond doubt.
Berkane maintained control for the remainder of the match, limiting Rivers United to speculative efforts and half-chances before comfortably seeing out the encounter.
With the results, Pyramids FC finish top of Group A, while RS Berkane join them in the knockout phase as runners-up, bringing the group stage to a decisive conclusion.
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Reigning CAF Champions League holders Pyramids FC signed off their group-stage campaign in style with a 3–1 victory over Power Dynamos FC on Matchday 6 to secure top spot in Group A.
The Egyptian side made a bright start and went ahead in the 16th minute when Mostafa Ziko rose highest to head home from a corner, underlining their early dominance.
Power Dynamos responded almost immediately. Frederick Mulambia restored parity a minute later, finishing from close range after a well-worked cross to briefly unsettle the hosts.
However, Pyramids regained control midway through the first half. In the 33rd minute, Youssef Obama reacted quickest inside the penalty area to restore the lead, sending the defending champions into the break 2–1 ahead.
The decisive moment came in the 59th minute when Ewerton unleashed a superb right-footed strike from outside the box that nestled into the bottom corner, extending the advantage to 3–1.
Despite late substitutions and sporadic pressure from the visitors, Pyramids managed proceedings comfortably to claim all three points and finish the group stage at the summit.
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