CAF Champions League
Orlando Pirates win to seize Group C lead, Yanga fight back to victory in thriller
Orlando Pirates delivered a commanding performance to defeat Stade d’Abidjan 3-0 in their Group C clash of the CAF Champions League at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
The result elevated the South African side to the top of the group standings with two matches remaining.
The hosts opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Relebohile Mofokeng slotted a composed finish into the centre of the net after being set up by Mohau Nkota.
Pirates controlled the tempo throughout the first half, heading into the break with a 1-0 advantage.
The Buccaneers doubled their lead early in the second half through Patrick Maswanganyi, who found the bottom left corner after receiving another precise assist from Nkota.
With Stade d’Abidjan struggling to create clear opportunities, the Pirates maintained their momentum.
Deon Hotto sealed the victory in the 85th minute, scoring from close range to cap off a fast break.
The visitors rarely threatened Orlando Pirates’ defence, as the South African outfit secured their second win of the group stage.
The victory takes Orlando Pirates to eight points, one ahead of Al Ahly, who suffered a 1-0 defeat to Belouizdad on Friday.
Belouizdad sits in third place with six points, while Stade d’Abidjan remains bottom with a single point.
With two matches left in the group stage, Pirates are well-positioned for quarter-final qualification. They will next face Al Ahly in Cairo in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter.
Earlier on Saturday, Young Africans (Yanga) delivered a spirited comeback to defeat TP Mazembe 3-1 at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium keeping their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League hopes alive.
The victory sees the Tanzanian side move to third place in Group A with four points, while Mazembe sit bottom with just two points.
The visitors struck first in the 16th minute when Alioune Faty converted a penalty, awarded after Issaka Boka’s foul in the box.
TP Mazembe’s early dominance threatened to derail the home side, but Young Africans showed resilience to claw their way back.
Clement Mzize equalized in the 33rd minute with a sensational long-range effort, restoring belief among the home supporters. The
Tanzanian champions carried that momentum into the second half, taking control of the game.
Aziz Ki completed the turnaround in the 56th minute, finishing calmly after a swift counter-attack.
Moments later, Mzize struck again in the 60th minute, slotting home a well-timed pass from Prince Dube to seal the victory.
Despite Mazembe’s late efforts, including a thunderous free-kick from Jean Diouf that rattled the crossbar, they failed to find a way back.
Young Africans now trail group leaders Al-Hilal Omdurman by five points with two matches remaining, as they stay in the race for quarter-final qualification.
Mazembe face a battle to keep their quarter-final hopes alive as they have an uphill task of advancing to the knockout stages of the competition.
-CAF
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CAF Champions League
Heartbreak for Al Ahly as Sundowns edge to CAF Champions League final on away goals rule
Mamelodi Sundowns clinched a dramatic spot in the final of the CAF Champions League after holding Al Ahly to a 1-1 draw in Cairo on Friday night, progressing on the away goals rule.
After a tense 0-0 stalemate in the first leg in Pretoria, it was Al Ahly who drew first blood in the return leg at the Cairo International Stadium.
Taher Mohamed fired the hosts into the lead midway through the first half, smashing home from outside the box after being teed up by the lively Emam Ashour.
Backed by a passionate home crowd, Al Ahly dominated much of the first period and looked on course to finally break their winless streak against the South Africans.
But Mamelodi Sundowns showed their resilience and turned the tie on its head in the closing stages.
With ten minutes remaining, a low cross caused panic in the Ahly defence, resulting in Yasser Ibrahim inadvertently turning the ball into his own net under pressure from Peter Shalulile.
It was a heartbreaking moment for the Egyptian giants and a lifeline for Sundowns, who knew a 1-1 draw would be enough to see them through.
Al Ahly threw everything forward in search of a late winner, with substitutes Achraf Bencharki and Wessam Abou Ali both going close in a frantic finale.
But Sundowns, marshalled superbly by their backline and aided by a bit of fortune, held firm to seal a famous qualification.
It marks a significant milestone for Pretoria-based side, who have now gone nine consecutive matches unbeaten against the record African champions.
Sundowns’ reward is a place in the final, where they will face either Pyramids FC or Orlando Pirates — with the second semi-final set to be decided later.
For Al Ahly, it was a night of bitter disappointment despite their brave efforts, as their dream of a record-extending CAF Champions League title came to a crashing halt at home.
-CAF
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CAF Champions League
Late Mayele heroics send Pyramids into historic first final after five-goal thriller
The Egyptian side Pyramids sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory over Orlando Pirates in Cairo on Friday night to book their place in the final of the CAF Champions League for the first time in their history.
After a goalless first leg in Johannesburg, both sides came out determined at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium, and it was Pirates who struck first when Relebohile Mofokeng slotted home from close range midway through the first half.
The lead, however, was short-lived. Pyramids levelled just before half-time, with Fiston Mayele pouncing on a cross from Mostafa Fathi to restore parity.
The end-to-end nature of the contest continued after the break, and Pirates regained the advantage when Mohau Nkota fired in a superb low drive on 52 minutes.
Yet the Egyptian side showed their resolve in front of their home fans. Ramadan Sobhi rose highest to meet a Mohamed Chibi cross, heading past Sipho Chaine to make it 2-2 just moments later.
The decisive moment came with just six minutes remaining.
After a goalmouth scramble from a corner, Mayele reacted quickest, hammering the ball into the roof of the net to spark wild celebrations among the home faithful.
Despite late pressure from the South African visitors, including efforts from Tshegofatso Mabasa and Relebohile Mofokeng, Pyramids held on to secure a famous win and extend their remarkable unbeaten home record to 23 matches.
The result means Pyramids will face Mamelodi Sundowns, who earlier eliminated Al Ahly on away goals, in what promises to be a mouth-watering final.
For Orlando Pirates, it was a brave effort but one that ultimately fell short, ending their hopes of a second CAF Champions League title.
-CAF
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Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns are set for a blockbuster clash on Friday night at Cairo International Stadium as they battle for a place in the final of the CAF Champions League.
With the first leg in Pretoria ending goalless, everything is still to play for in this highly anticipated second-leg encounter.
Despite Al Ahly’s rich history and dominance in African club football, Sundowns have held the upper hand in recent meetings.
The South African giants are unbeaten in their last eight matches against the Cairo club, scoring 11 goals and conceding just five in that run.
Al Ahly have not defeated Sundowns since May 2021 and will be looking to overturn that trend on home soil.
The hosts have been rock solid at the back in this season’s Champions League, keeping three consecutive clean sheets.
Their defensive resilience will be key once again, especially against a Sundowns side that has failed to score in its last 216 minutes of continental action.
Peter Shalulile, with three goals to his name in the tournament, remains the Brazilians’ biggest threat up front.
Midfielder Emam Ashour has been pivotal to Al Ahly’s campaign, scoring five times — joint-highest in the competition — and will be expected to spark the attack once more.
Home advantage could prove crucial for the Egyptians.
They are unbeaten in their last six home games across all competitions and boast three wins from four home matches in this CAF Champions League campaign.
Sundowns, meanwhile, have struggled on the road, managing just one win in four away matches this season.
With a place in the final at stake, both sides will be pushing to make their mark in what promises to be a high-stakes, high-intensity clash under the Cairo lights.
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