CAF Champions League
CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals journey mapped out
The CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals journey was officially mapped out on Tuesday at the official draw held in Cairo, Egypt.
Conducted by Ivorian football legend Siaka Tiene who was joined by Egyptian football icon, Ahmed Hassan, the draw for the quarter-finals produced what promises to be highly entertaining fixtures between the last 8 teams.
The first Quarter-Final sees Tanzanian giants, Simba FC going head on against competition record holders, Al Ahly SC. The Tanzanians are yet to taste continental success and will be looking at doing so at the expense of the defending champions who have stamped their authority in the competition.
Yearning for continental glory since last tasting CAF Champions League success in 2015, TP Mazembe will prepare to welcome Angola’s Atletico de Petroleos to Lubumbashi in the first leg before travelling to Luanda for the return fixture.
The Angolans best run was in the 2021/22 season where their journey ended in the semi-finals against eventual winners, Wydad Casablanca.
Four-time champions and Tunisian powerhouse, Esperance Sportive de Tunis are up against 1998 champions, Asec Mimosas who will be spurred by the Ivorians’ recent Africa Cup of Nations success a month ago.
The last Quarter-Final fixture sees another Tanzanian giant, Young Africans who fell short in last season’s CAF Confederation Cup final taking on South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns who are desperate to emulate their 2016 success when they lifted their first continental title.
CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals Draw Outcome:
First Leg: 29 – 30 March 2024
QF 1 | Simba FC (TAN) vs Al Ahly SC (EGY)
QF 2 | TP Mazembe (DRC) vs Atletico de Petroleos (ANG)
QF 3 | Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN) vs Asec Mimosas (CIV)
QF 4 | Young Africans (TAN) vs Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA)
Second Leg: 05 – 06 April 2024
QF 1 | Al Ahly SC (EGY) vs Simba FC (TAN)
QF 2 | Atletico de Petroleos (ANG) vs TP Mazembe (DRC)
QF 3 | vs Asec Mimosas (CIV) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN)
QF 4 | Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) vs Young Africans (TAN)
Semi-Finals Draw Outcome:
SF 1: QF 3 Winner vs QF 4 Winner
SF 2: QF 2 Winner vs QF 1 Winner
Semi-Finals Official Dates and Venues TBC.
Defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt will take on perennial rivals Esperance of Tunisia in this year’s African Champions League final after winning their semi-finals on Friday.
Al Ahly, who have won five of the last seven editions and a record 11 in total, overcame TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Cairo and Esperance pulled off a surprise 1-0 win over South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria.
Al Ahly won 3-0 after a goalless draw in the first leg in Lubumbashi for a comfortable aggregate triumph while Esperance’s 20-year-old defender Raed Bouchniba hammered home a clinical shot in the 57th minute to earn the Tunisians a 1-0 away win and 2-0 aggregate victory.
The match was delayed by 70 minutes after a lightning strike in South Africa’s capital knocked out some of the floodlights amid a heavy thunderstorm.
Sundowns won the new African Football League this season and were one of the favourites for the Champions League but fell short of the final for an eighth season in a row.
Esperance’s 20-year-old goalkeeper Amanallah Memmich produced fine saves as the South African forwards fluffed their lines and the win also ensured a place for Esperance in next year’s Club World Cup in the U.S.
Al Ahly took until the 68th minute to break the deadlock against Mazembe when defender Mohamed Abdel-Moneim scored.
Wessam Abou Ali added a second in the 83rd minute, stretching out his leg to apply a clever finish and Akram Tawfiq confirmed their superiority with a stoppage-time third.
Esperance host the first leg of the final on May 18 with the return in Cairo seven days later.
Esperance won the last of their four Champions League titles in 2019 and have been runners-up four times.
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.
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
Iheanacho, Ndidi back in Premier League as Leicester City get promotion
Crossfire in Zambia as FIFA and Government go for showdown
Al Ahly to face Esperance in African Champions League final
SUPER EAGLES TO FACE ENGLAND IN PRE-WORLD CUP FRIENDLY
Apart from Okwaraji, Nigeria’s Other Field-Related Obituaries
Grudgingly, Eto’o accepts new Cameroon coach Brys, but fails to attend ceremony
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoRemo Stars add fuel to the fire as title chase turns East – West battle
-
CAF Confederation Cup3 days agoNigeria’s Samson Adamu signs Algeria’s USM match forfeiture
-
UEFA Champions League1 week agoNigerians among Leverkusen’s African quintetin historic Bundesliga triumph
-
CAF Confederation Cup3 days agoBREAKING! CAF awards abandoned Confederation Cup semi-finals to Morocco’s RS Berkane
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoHeartland back to their homeland as they host Shooting Stars
-
FEDERATION CUP1 week agoBREAKING! Federation Cup acquires presidential nomenclature…7th name since inception
-
CAF Confederation Cup1 week agoConfederation Cup runs into crisis as Moroccan players of RS Berkane are stranded at Algerian airport following seizure of jerseys and equipment
-
African Games3 days agoBREAKING! Accra 2023 African Games Chieftain is dead