CAF Champions League
CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: TITANIC BATTLE OF FORMER CHAMPIONS
Time has come for the vital knockout stages of the continent’s premier club competition, with eight former champions battling for the Holy Grail of African club football.
The 2019-20 CAF Champions League quarterfinals kickoff this weekend, with four first leg games scheduled over Friday and Saturday. Egyptian capital Cairo and Morocco’s Casablanca will be the venue this weekend, with back to back games on the infamous Cairo International Stadium and Mohamed V Complex respectively.
The return legs are scheduled in seven days, with aggregate winners reaching the last four, continuing their way to continental glory.
Zamalek (Egypt) v Esperance (Tunisia)
(Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, 28.02.2020 – 16:00 GMT)
A couple of weeks after locking horns in the 2020 CAF Super Cup, giants Zamalek and Esperance renew their rivalry when they face in Cairo.
Zamalek emerged 3-1 victorious in Doha, Qatar on 14 February to claim their fourth CAF Super Cup title and cement Esperance’s jinx in the annual one match playoff. But the titleholders will seek revenge in the most prestigious Champions League.
With nine titles between them (five for Zamalek, one less for Esperance), this is going to be a battle of titans on the pitch.
Zamalek’s French coach Patrice Carteron knows it well when continental football is concerned, having won CAF titles with TP Mazembe, Raja Casablanca before tasting the same glory with Zamalek. On the other hand Moine Chaabani led Esperance to the Champions League title in the previous couple of seasons, setting himself among the continent’s most successful managers.
Zamalek will be counting on expatriates like Tunisian Ferjani Sassi and Moroccan Achraf Bencharki, while Esperance will seek brilliance in the form of Libyan Hamdou Elhouni and experienced Taha Yassine Khenissi.
Raja Casablanca (Morocco) v TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
(Mohamed V Complex, Casablanca, 28.02.2020 – 19:00 GMT)
The two former champions have many things in common. Both have lifted the CAF Champions League trophy more than once (five times for Mazembe, three for Raja), both went to win numerous CAF competitions, and both finished the FIFA Club World Cup as runner ups; the best African achievement in the global competition (Mazembe in 2010, Raja in 2013).
Moreover, both sides’ coaches have been previous players, and even won the CAF Champions League title with their clubs. Jamel Sellami was one of Raja’s winning squad members in 1997, while Pamphile Mihayo led Mazembe to the title in 2009 and 2010.
It’s their second encounter in Champions League history after a group stage meeting in 2002 where each side enjoyed a home victory.
Raja will be counting on their charismatic skipper Badr Banoun and inform striker Soufiane Rahimi, while Mazembe needs their talismanic striker and the tournament’s top scorer Jackson Muleka to be in his day to snatch an away positive result that could help their cause.
Al Ahly (Egypt) v Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
(Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, 29.02.2020 – 16:00 GMT)
There’s no talk inside the Cairo Red Devils castle but the awaited encounter against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Despite beating the Pretoria side to win the title in 2001, Al Ahly faced a nightmare last season when they conceded their worst defeat in their continental history, losing 5-0 to The Brazilians at the very same stage.
Since the draw was conducted, Al Ahly faithful supporters are seeking revenge for their side who are still chasing a record extending ninth Champions League title, one that’s eluding them since 2013.
Meanwhile, Sundowns who settled themselves as one of the continent’s big guns in recent years after bagging their maiden Champions League titles in 2016 are hoping for yet another shock in the premier club competition.
Ahly’s Swiss coach Rene Weiler, who settled his way well in the domestic Egyptian Premier League with 16 consecutive wins this season, knows well that the Champions League title is the club’s first priority.
But to continue his side’s campaign he needs to overcome resistance from one of the continent’s best coaches in recent times in the form of Pitso Mosimane.
Nigeria’s Junior Ajayi and Tunisian Ali Maaloul are Ahly’s men to watch, while Sundowns will have their South American flavor in the form of Brazilian Ricardo Nascimento and Uruguayan Gaston Sirino among others.
Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) v Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
(Mohamed V Complex, Casablanca, 29.02.2020 – 19:00 GMT)
This might be their first CAF Champions League encounter between Wydad and Etoile, but both sides are former champions (twice for Wydad, once for Etoile) and seasonal campaigners.
They faced twice in other CAF competitions with Etoile emerging as aggregate winners in both occasions.
Ironically, Wydad will enter the game led by Etoile’s former coach. Spaniard Juan Carlos Garrido was sacked by Etoile earlier this month, and he was revealed as Wydad coach following the departure of Sebastien Desabre just 72 hours before the scheduled encounter against his former side.
His successor and Etoile’s former player Kais Zouaghi will be his opponent this weekend.
Wydad will hope their Congolese striker Kazadi Kasengu will continue his goal scoring form, while Etoile are backing on their Algerian forward and top scorer Karim Aribi to lead their side to an away positive result.
-CAF
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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