CAF Champions League
HOW GOR MAHIA DIMMED LOBI STARS IN NAIROBI
Gor Mahia could become the first Kenyan club to reach the CAF Champions League group phase after defeating Lobi Stars ofNigeria 3-1 on Sunday in a 2018/2019 round-of-30 first leg.
It was a better-than-expected result for the Nairobi outfit after they struggled to overcome Nyasa Big Bullets of Malawi in the preliminary round,scraping through on penalties.
The overall outcome could hinge on whether Gor Mahia can score an away goal inNigeria this Saturday to cancel the one Lobi Stars snatched in east Africa.
Kenyan clubs have failed to reach the group stage since its introduction in
1997, but Gor came close last year by losing 1-0 overall to eventual champions
Esperance of Tunisia.
Rwandan Jacques Tuyisenge gave Gor Mahia a sixth-minute lead in Nairobi that Samuel Onyango increased midway through the first half.
Samuel Kadiri pulled one goal back for Lobi only for Onyango to net again before half-time with the last goal of the match.
Five former winners of the competition were in action and four won at home
while the other drew away.
V Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the 1973 champions, look set for the group stage after hammering minnows Bantu of Lesotho 4-1 in Kinshasa.
Jean-Marc Makusu, runner-up in the CAF Confederation Golden Boot race last
season with 11 goals, bagged a brace for the Congolese.
Tunisians Club Africain, who were African champions 27 years ago, came from
behind to defeat Al Hilal of Sudan 3-1 in the Tunis suburb of Rades.
The hosts had the narrowest of leads until Oussema Darragi scored a potentially crucial third goal one minute into stoppage time.
Ismaily, whose 1969 triumph was the first in the competition by an Egyptian club, won 2-0 at home to Coton Sport of Cameroon with Baher el Mohamadi and Karim Bambo scoring.
Five-time African champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo managed only a 1-0 win over
Zambian club Zesco United in Lubumbashi with an early Jackson Muleka goal
separating the sides.
Mamelodi Sundowns, who two years ago became the second South African winners of
the Champions League, drew 0-0 away to Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya in Cairo.
Benghazi were forced to move the fixture to the Egyptian capital because of
militia violence in their country.
AS Otoho of Congo Brazzaville, who shocked 2018 semi-finalists Primeiro Agosto
of Angola in the preliminary round, were held 1-1 at home by FC Platinum of
Zimbabwe.
Mamane Cisse gave the hosts an 18th-minute lead in the northern town of Owando
and Lameck Namho levelled three minutes after half-time.
The 15 second legs are scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday while defending
champions Esperance of Tunisia received a bye into the December 28 group draw.
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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