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.
CAF Champions League
Brazil’s Ribeiro Costa Gone, Rivalry Renewed: Mamelodi Sundowns Reshape Squad Before Remo Stars Showdown
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Mamelodi’s talismanic Brazilian player, Lucas Ribeiro Costa has made a sudden departure from the club which is well known for its Brazil-styled football attire. The departure of the player has forced a tactical reset at Sundowns ahead of the CAF Champions League second round clash with Remo Stars.
On the other hand, Nigeria’s champions, Remo Stars, are bracing up for a titanic CAF Champions League second-round showdown against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa — a fixture that not only promises fireworks on the pitch but also rekindles one of African football’s most intense rivalries.
The first leg of the tie will take place in Abeokuta, the temporary home ground of Remo Stars with the return fixture scheduled for South Africa.
Sundowns, are continental heavyweights — former African champions and perennial campaigners known for their fluid attacking football.
However, the South Africans will enter this contest amid tactical reshuffling following the shock departure of Ribeiro, their Brazilian talisman and last season’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) Footballer of the Year.
New coach Miguel Cardoso has acknowledged the impact of Ribeiro’s exit but insists the Tshwane-based side are evolving into a more unified team rather than relying on individual brilliance.
“No player will replace Lucas because that’s not what we are looking for,” Cardoso told reporters after Sundowns’ first league loss of the season.
“We are looking to reinforce the team and make it completely different. Ribeiro was unique, but now we must play more as a collective.”
Cardoso revealed that Sundowns have recruited Portuguese playmaker Nuno Santos from Vitória Guimarães and are closing in on another Portuguese midfielder, Miguel Reisinho, to enhance their creative options.
Despite this transition phase, the South African champions remain formidable, boasting one of the continent’s most technically balanced squads. Their clash with Nigeria’s Remo Stars — debutants in this elite stage — offers a fascinating contrast between experience and ambition.
Beyond the football itself, the fixture taps into a storied Nigeria–South Africa rivalry that has shaped African football narratives for decades — from national team duels at the Africa Cup of Nations to club-level battles in CAF competitions.
Matches between sides from both nations have often been fierce, emotionally charged, and symbolic of continental supremacy.
For Remo Stars, this encounter represents both a massive test and an opportunity to make a statement.
The Ikenne-based side, known for their youthful energy and tactical discipline, will aim to upset the odds against one of Africa’s richest and most accomplished clubs.
Their head coach, Daniel Ogunmodede, is expected to lean on the attacking prowess of Adams Olamilekan and the creativity of Ebuka Anthony to breach Sundowns’ disciplined defence.
With pride, prestige, and progression on the line, all eyes will be on the two legs of this Nigeria–South Africa contest — a battle that goes beyond footballing tactics to touch the nerve of a continental rivalry steeped in passion and history.
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Rivers United have advanced to the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League after defeating Les Aigles of the Democratic Republic of Congo 1–0 in the return leg on Sunday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
Following a goalless stalemate in the first leg in Kinshasa, the Nigerian side sealed progression on a 1–0 aggregate scoreline, thanks to a first-half strike that proved decisive in a tightly contested encounter.
The win sends Rivers United into the second preliminary round, where they will face the winner of the tie between AC Léopards of Congo and Black Bulls of Mozambique.
With this result, Rivers United join Remo Stars in the second round of the CAF Champions League.
The next round is scheduled to hold between October 17 and 26, while the group stage kicks off in November
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Remo Stars have sealed their passage into the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League after edging Comoros’ US Zilimadjou 1–0 in Abeokuta on Friday, completing an emphatic 5–0 aggregate victory.
Forward Alex Oyowah struck the decisive goal in the 74th minute, calmly converting from the penalty spot to settle the return leg at the MKO Abiola International Stadium.
With a four-goal cushion from the first leg in – courtesy of strikes from Lamine Ndenge, Ebuka Anthony, Adams Goïta and Seun Olasupo – coach Daniel Ogunmodede’s side approached the second leg tie with composure and tactical discipline.
Despite Zilimadjou’s spirited attempt to salvage pride, Remo Stars’ organisation off the ball ensured the visitors rarely threatened.
The Sky Blue Stars grew in confidence as the game wore on, controlling possession and protecting their clean sheet before Oyowah’s late strike put the result beyond doubt.
The Nigerian side will now brace for a tougher test in October when they meet South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns in what promises to be one of the glamour fixtures of the next round.
Other return-leg fixtures across the continent are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, with the full line-up for the second preliminary round to be confirmed thereafter.
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