CAF Confederation Cup
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP FINAL: CAN VITA CLUB CANCEL DEFICIT?
BY APESIN ADEMOLA.
Raja Casablanca go into the last match of CAF clubs 2018 season with high expectations to come out victorious and lift the title they last won in 2003, then known as CAF Cup.
The Moroccans have a 3-0 cushion achieved in the first leg in Casablanca a week ago
.
Reversing such a huge margin in the final is not common even as home teams deploy all tactics – fair and unfair – to overcome their visitors.
Three-time winners of the elite CAF Champions League, Raja understand how to hold their nerves in important fixtures. And their coach, Juan Carlos Garrido has refused to get carried away by the first leg result.
Shortly after beating Vita Club in Casablanca, Garrido told the media that his squad needed to concentrate on the second leg at Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa.
“That match is going to be huge. Today (last Sunday), this match is over. As from tomorrow we have to start preparing for the return leg, which is the final. That match is definite.”
The Spaniard have a personal history in sight. He is on the verge of becoming the first ever coach to win this title with two clubs after his success with Egypt’s Al-Ahly four seasons ago.
Raja will be without striker Moussine Iajour who has been banned by CAF for three continental club matches over an incident at the end of last Sunday’s first leg fixture.
“Iajour was expelled at the end of the match for giving violent head shot to a player of AS Vita Club,” CAF statement reads.
But AS Vita coach Florent Ibenge is determined not to allow history repeat itself by cancelling the deficit and going ahead to win the club’s first continental trophy since 1973 when they were crowned African champions through the then African Cup of Champions Clubs (now CAF Champions League).
He believes that no two matches are the same, while admitting that the huge loss in Casablanca has made life complicated for this side.
“Even in training when a team leads by three goals to zero, the game is stopped because it is considered that the match is over. But we have seen in history scenarios that have redefined themselves in another way. Let’s hope and work to show another image better than the first leg.”
He may be banking on their performance in the semifinal when the Congolese club bashed Al-Masry SC of Egypt 4-0 in the second leg to land in the final by the same aggregate score.
Ibenge was in charge of Vita Club when they lost CAF Champions League final to Algeria’s ES Sétif four years ago.
Vita Club’s local rivals TP Mazembe won the last two editions of this competition. Will that inspire the Black Dolphins to achieve one of the greatest comebacks in the finals of CAF competitions to emulate their compatriots?
Fixture…
AS Vita Club (DR Congo) v Raja Casablanca (Morocco) (8pm)
(First leg Raja Casablanca 3-0)
A high-stakes Moroccan derby between Olympique de Safi and Wydad Casablanca will headline the quarter-final stage of the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup, following Tuesday’s draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), mapped out the path to the final for the eight remaining contenders, setting up intriguing North African and Central African showdowns.
All-Moroccan Clash Guarantees Semi-Final Spot
Olympique de Safi will host Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of their tie, ensuring that Morocco will have at least one representative in the semi-finals. The clash pits two sides familiar with each other domestically, adding extra intensity to what is already a decisive knockout encounter.
Egyptian and Algerian Heavyweights in Action
Egyptian giants Zamalek SC will begin their campaign away to Congo’s AS Otoho, a tie that sees the five-time African champions seeking another continental crown.
Meanwhile, Al Masry SC will host Algeria’s CR Belouizdad in the first leg, in what promises to be a tightly contested North Africa battle.
In another compelling fixture, AS Maniema Union of the Democratic Republic of Congo will take on Algeria’s USM Alger, as the Congolese side looks to capitalise on home advantage in the opening leg.
Quarter-Final Fixtures
- QF1: Al Masry (Egypt) vs CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
- QF2: Olympique de Safi (Morocco) vs Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
- QF3: AS Otoho (Congo) vs Zamalek SC (Egypt)
- QF4: AS Maniema Union (DR Congo) vs USM Alger (Algeria)
The quarter-final first legs are scheduled for 15 March, with return fixtures set for 22 March.
Semi-Final Pathway Confirmed
The draw also determined the semi-final bracket:
- SF1: Winner of AS Maniema Union vs USM Alger will host the first leg against the winner of Olympique de Safi vs Wydad Casablanca.
- SF2: Winner of Al Masry vs CR Belouizdad will host the first leg against the winner of AS Otoho vs Zamalek SC.
The semi-finals will be played on 12 April (first leg) and 19 April (second leg).
The team advancing from the semi-finals will host the first leg of the final on 9 May, with the decisive second leg scheduled for 16 May.
With regional rivalries, heavyweight pedigrees, and emerging contenders all in the mix, the knockout stage of the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup promises high drama as clubs across North and Central Africa vie for continental glory.
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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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CAF Confederation Cup
Zamalek, Kaizer Chiefs Drawn Together as CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage Unveiled
The draw for the group phase of this season’s African Confederation Cup conducted in Johannesburg on Monday:
Group A: USM Alger (Algeria), Djoliba (Mali), Olympique Safi (Morocco), San Pedro (Ivory Coast)
Group B: Azam (Tanzania), Maniema Union (DR Congo), Nairobi United (Kenya), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
Group C: Chabab Belouizdad (Algeria), AS Otoho (Congo) Singida Black Stars (Tanzania), Stellenbosch (South Africa)
Group D: Al Masry (Egypt), Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa), Zamalek (Egypt), Zesco United (Zambia)
The top two finishers in each of the four groups advance to the quarter-finals in March.
The group phase starts on Sunday November 23 and will continue through to mid-February.
-Reuters
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