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CAF Champions League

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: TITANIC BATTLE OF FORMER CHAMPIONS

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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CAF Champions League

Enugu Rangers crash out of Champions League

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Nigeria’s sole survivor into the second round of the CAF Champions League, Enugu Rangers have crashed out of the competition. They lost 3-1 to Angola’s Sagrada Esperança  this Sunday in Luanda.

 The aggregate scoreline is 3-2 as Rangers last weekend won their home game 1-0. Sagrada Esperança opened the game with offensive and got their first goal barely six minutes into the game when Alexandre Fernando found the back of the net.

 The hosts doubled their lead in the 33rd minute through Mussa. But four minutes later, Enugu Rangers reduced the tally to 2-1 to carry an away goal advantage into half time.

Jamie Pimpao got the much needed goal for Angola in the 67th minute to seal the hopes of Rangers.

Sagrada Esperança will now go into next month’s draw for the draw of the group stage.

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CAF Champions League: Travelling teams secure victories on the road

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CAF Champions League 2nd Preliminary Round action resumed on Saturday, 14 September following the resumption of the Africa’s premium club competition on Friday.

It was mostly the travelling teams that secured victories away from home on Saturday, who put themselves in fairly comfortable situations ahead of the return leg next week.

Orlando Pirates had a mental obstacle to overcome in Gaborone against Jwaneng Galaxy, having to face the same side that eliminated them in the same phase of the competition last season.

The former champions secured a 2-0 victory in Gaborone to put themselves in a comfortable position ahead of the return leg next weekend.

Five-time champions, TP Mazembe were away to Red Arrows in Zambia where they also put two past their hosts ahead of the return leg in Lubumbashi.

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Mamelodi Sundowns, who played their away match in the comfort of their home stadium against Swaziland’s Mbabane Swallows made use of home ground advantage with a comfortable 4-0 win over their neighbours.

Tanzanian champions, Young Africans secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over CBE SA of Rwanda as Tanzanian giants continue to chase a continental title. 

It was a rather tough outing for Moroccan outfit, AS FAR when they travelled to Sudan to face Al Merrikh. A highly entertaining encounter concluded with a 2-2 draw, ahead of the return leg in Morocco.

Egyptian side, Pyramids FC also played out to a draw when they were held 1-1 by APR FC in Rwanda.

Burkina Faso side, Association Sportive des Douanes out up an impressive showing when they edged Algeria’s CR Belouizdad by 1-0.

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The first leg of the 2nd Preliminary Round concludes on Sunday, with five interesting encounters lined up, including reigning champions Al Ahly kick starting their title defense away from home.

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Results & Fixtures:

Friday, 13 September

Enugu Rangers 1 – 0 Sagrada Esperanca

Monastir 0 – 1 MC Alger

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Saturday, 14 September 

CBE SA 0 – 1 Young Africans

Red Arrows 0 – 2 TP Mazembe

Al-Merrikh 2 – 2 AS FAR

Jwaneng Galaxy FC 0 – 2 Orlando Pirates FC

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Maniema Union 2 – 1 Petro de Luanda

Djoliba 1 – 0  ASKO

Douanes 1 – 0 CR Belouizdad

Sunday, 15 September 

12h00 GMT | Gor Mahia vs Al Ahly

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15h00 GMT | Samartex vs Raja CA

16h00 GMT | San Pedro vs Al-Hilal

16h00 GMT | Dekedaha vs ES Tunis

19h00 GMT | Stade d’Abidjan vs Milo FC

The return leg fixtures of the 2nd Preliminary stage will be played between 20 – 22 September.

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-CAF

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CAF Champions League

Enugu Rangers in slim CAF Champions League win over Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca

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Enugu Rangers’ patchy form in the CAF Champions League continues as they struggled to beat visiting Angola’s Sagrada Esperance 1-0 in the first leg match played at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

 It was in similar fashion that they played against Union Sportive de Zilimadjou of Comoros Islands who they beat 2-1 over two legs in Uyo.

Rangers’ lone goal was scored by Kazeem Ogunleye in the 80th minute.

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