CAF Champions League
AL AHLY’S HEART NOT LARGE ENOUGH!
Egypt’s Ahly failed in their near-impossible bid to stage a historic comeback from five goals down as they were eliminated from the African Champions League quarters after only claiming a 1-0 home win over South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday.
According to Al Ahram, despite being roared on by tens of thousands of supporters at Alexandria’s Borg El-Arab Stadium, Ahly hardly made their dominance count after failing to break down the resolute visitors for long spells.
Their first goal came too late for the Red Devils to stage a comeback, with Walid Azaro heading home eight minutes past the hour mark.
They also wasted several clear-cut chances and Nigerian forward Junior Ajayi had a goal harshly disallowed for offside early in the second half.
But Ahly could have few complaints after a disastrous first-leg display in Pretoria saw them lose 5-0 for their first worst ever defeat in an African competition.
Despite bowing out at the quarter-final stage, in stark contrast to the previous two seasons when they reached the final on both occasions, Ahly’s players were greeted by their supporters following the final whistle.
The demanding fans called on the Cairo giants to win a fourth straight Egyptian Premier League title, which they top in a tight and increasingly thrilling race with arch rivals Zamalek and big-spending Pyramids FC.
Inspired form
Ahly laid siege to Sundowns’ area from the outset but with veteran keeper Denis Onyango in inspired form, they could not find the early breakthrough they desperately needed.
The Uganda international smothered a close-range angled effort from Azaro early on and blocked another volley from the Moroccan striker after he robbed a Sundowns defender.
In between, the best chance of the half fell to central midfielder Amr El-Sulaya, whose superb curling effort struck the upright, with Onyango finally beaten.
Ajayi tucked away a rebound just after the restart but Gambian referee Bakary Gassama ruled the goal out, although television replays suggested that the deep-lying forward was not in an offside position.
Failing to score at least a goal until this point took the wind out of Ahly’s sails, with their spirits dampened and the fans appearing resigned to a looming elimination.
But there was still room for some consolation, with Azaro sending a powerful header home following an inviting cross from experienced right-back Ahmed Fathi, who was an otherwise peripheral figure.
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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