CAF Champions League
WILL JUNIOR AJAYI BE LUCKY TODAY AS CAIRO TITANS CLASH IN CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL?
This Friday, football fans across Africa and the Arab world will be giving their undivided attention to the ‘Final of the Century’ at Cairo International Stadium.
There, two giants of Egyptian and African football, Al Ahly and Zamalek, will go head to head in the deciding game of the 2019-20 CAF Champions League.
Al Ahly have eight African Cup of Champions/CAF Champions League titles to their name but last won the competition in 2013 at the expense of South Africa’s Orlando Pirates.
For their part, Zamalek have won the tournament five times and will be looking to finally claim their sixth, having failed to win it since 2002, when they beat Morocco’s Raja Casablanca.
Both sides are playing some of their best football and most observers agree that there is very little to separate them in attack or defence.
Despite both teams having to deal with notable absences, the showdown has been dubbed the ‘Final of the Century’ as it is the first time that two teams from the same country, let alone from a city that lives and breathes football like Cairo, have contested the decider.
Players to watch
Junior Ajayi
Having already scored three times against Zamalek and netted twice and made one assist en route to this final, Ajayi clearly carries a goalscoring threat. Even when not scoring, he can be relied up to keep possession, contribute up front thanks to his speed, skill and accurate heading, or play on the wing as required.
Achraf Bencharki
Bencharki knows what it is like to win the African Champions League, having triumphed with Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca at the expense of tomorrow’s opponents Al Ahly in 2017. Now in the colours of Zamalek, the Moroccan is expected to be one of coach Jaime Pacheco’s most important offensive weapons.
Since joining the White Knights last year, the 26-year-old has helped them win the Egypt Cup, netting a brace against Pyramids in the final, followed by the CAF Super Cup at the expense Tunisia’s Esperance, when he also found the target twice. He was on the scoresheet against Esperance again when the teams met in quarter-finals of this Champions League campaign.
A coaching coincidence
Both Al Ahly and Zamalek’s coaches took the helm of their respective teams just before their semi-finals. Al Ahly appointed South African Pitso Mosimane, whose previous side Mamelodi Sundowns crashed out to his current club in the tournament’s quarter-final.
For their part, Zamalek appointed Portuguese Jaime Pacheco after Frenchman Patrice Carteron left for Al Taawoun of Saudi Arabia. Pacheco led the White Knights to the final at the expense of Morocco’s Raja Casablanca.
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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