CAF Champions League
LOBI STARS, MAMELODI SUNDOWNS RENEW NIGERIA-SOUTH AFRICA FOOTBALL RIVALRY
Keen rivalry between Nigerian and South African teams would yet come to the fore on Friday at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium in Enugu where Lobi Stars of Makurdi entertain Mamelodi Sundowns in the Round of 1/16th Total CAF Champions’ League Match Day 1 Group A tie.
Incidentally, Mamelodi Sundowns have won all but one of their four previous CAF Champions League confrontations against Nigerian sides including victories over two legs recorded against Enyimba en route to being crowned the continental champions in 2016.
Earlier in 2001, Sundowns lost 2-0 away to Julius Berger in Lagos but rallied to a 1-0 home win in Johannesburg as such, Lobi Stars’ defender Solomon Kwambe admitted the self-styled Brazilians of South Africa can’t be handled with kid’s gloves.
“Of course, we know so much about Mamelodi Sundowns and they are a team that we can’t take for granted because of their reputation,” the 25-year-old Kwambe told CAFOnline.com
“ Just on Saturday, we saw their game when they beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in their domestic league match and that means we must prepare very well playing against them; especially since this is our first game in the group stage.
“It is important for us to win this particular encounter against Mamelodi Sundowns to boost our confidence because we have two other strong teams in our group; a win will be a good start for us and we can build upon it for our other matches.”
Kwambe, a member of the Super Eagles squad to the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) hosted by South Africa informed he would be sharing tips on how to deal with the visitors with his teammates.
“We know so much about South African teams and I was lucky to have played against the Bafana Bafana at the 2013 Nelson Mandela Challenge where we beat them 2-0 and also in 2014 when we beat them 3-1 in the CHAN Tournament,” explains Kwambe. “ So, I have an idea about South African teams; I know Mamelodi Sundowns’ style of play may not be too different from any South African team and we shall be ready for them on Friday in Enugu.
“Playing in Enugu has been a blessing to Lobi Stars because we have won all our home matches there and I’m expecting the fans to come and cheer us to victory against Mamelodi Sundowns on Friday.”
Meanwhile, former Nigeria international and Lobi Stars’ Team Manager, Barnabas Imenger said the West African side have so far enjoyed support from fans and government officials which would boost their aspiration of going beyond the group stage of the CAF Champions League.
“Of course, we at Lobi Stars go into every game with the objective to win either we are at home or away,” Imenger who played in the 1990s for the Super Eagles told CAFOnline.com
“The match on Friday against Mamelodi Sundowns would not be different;
we respect as a former African champions but our priority is to take the three
points.
In a related development ahead of the trip to Nigeria, Mamelodi Sundowns’ trainer Pitso Mosimane has hinted about the club’s game plan to ensure qualification from the dreaded Group A that also housed two other former African Champions including ASEC Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.
“The most important thing in the Champions League is winning at home,” Mosimane reportedly said on the club’s website. “You must also make sure that in the three games away; you at least get two draws. If you do that, you’re guaranteed qualification in the knockout stage.
“The best thing you can do is winning at home. We have to win at home. With how our games are structured, we’re going to play Wydad in our last match of the group. You don’t want to get to that match needing to get a result.
“You have to do what you need to do as early as possible. You’ve got to have a good start and hit the ground running with your home games,” he explained.
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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