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CAF Champions League

ENYIMBA, PLATEAU UNITED, OTHERS GET NEW CONTINENTAL CALENDAR

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Even before kick-off, the calendar for the upcoming continental clubs competition has changed. Since March, there have been disruption of general sporting calendars and the CAF competitions have not been exempted.

The finals of the currently extended season are yet to be played even though the fixtures for the upcoming seasons have been drawn.

The whole episode is occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Nigerian publication, ThisDay, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has for the second time, reverted to midweek fixtures for club competitions for 2020/21 season.

The new development thus meant that both Plateau United and Enyimba FC in Champions League and Kano Pillars in CAF Confederation Cup will be having midweek matches after fulfilling the local league fixtures at weekends when the new season gets under way soon.

ThisDay quoted a CAF official that the latest kick-off date for both the Champions League and Confederation Cup competitions is Friday, 27 November.

Originally, they were set to start on 7 August, and then pushed back to 20 November because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Now, the two-leg preliminary round matches are slated for 27/29 November and 4/6 December, followed by round-of-32 games on 22/23 December and 5/6 January.

The other dates in both competitions remain unchanged with the first Champions League matchday on 12/13 February and the Confederation Cup series beginning on 10 March.

After six match days come two-leg quarterfinals in May, home-and-away semi finals in June and single-match finals in July.

Four of the 15 Champions League rounds will be staged on Tuesdays or Wednesdays as CAF battles to find match dates in a calendar that must also accommodate national teams.

Six of the 17 Confederation Cup rounds are also scheduled for midweek with three offering clubs a choice of playing on Tuesday or Wednesday and three others on Wednesdays.

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Most participants will be unhappy at the prospect of having to stage CAF matches during the week as the system did not work when previously enforced a few years ago.

The sight of tiny crowds dotted around huge stadiums gave the incorrect impression that there was little interest in the competitions.

To reduce electricity costs and avoid the risk of power outages that are common in African countries, many clubs played matches in the afternoon during work days. 

This meant that the majority of supporters could not attend because a traditional working day in Africa ends around 1500 GMT.

Afternoon kick-offs did not suit the footballers either with matches often played in stamina-draining temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius or higher.

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This problem applies to even the most powerful clubs with TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo — winners of 11 CAF titles — playing midweek matches in the afternoon. 

To date, 49 clubs have qualified for the Champions League and 43 for the Confederation Cup, the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League.

Heading the Champions League line-up are Al Ahly, whose 0-0 draw with Al Ittihad in Alexandria on Monday ensured them of a top-two finish although they have seven games to play.

Ahly have been African champions a record eight times and face Wydad Casablanca of Morocco during October in the 2019/2020 semi finals.

Zamalek of Egypt and Raja Casablanca of Morocco are the other semi-finalists and both are likely to be back in the elite competition next season.

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Raja lead the Moroccan Botola Pro 1 standings while Zamalek hold an eight-point advantage over Al Mokawloon Al Arab in the race for second place behind runaway leaders Ahly.

There will also be numerous debutants, including Forest Rangers, a Zambian club who qualified despite 28 of the staff testing positive for Covid-19 when the season restarted.

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

Pyramids claim maiden African Champions League title

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Egypt’s Pyramids claimed a deserved 2-1 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa. This led to a 3-2 aggregate success. They celebrated their first African Champions League title. This triumph occurred following the second leg of this year’s final at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Sunday.

The first leg in Pretoria finished 1-1. Fiston Mayele gave Pyramids the lead on 23 minutes. He profited from a Sundowns defensive error. Ahmed Samy doubled the advantage on 56 minutes. He scored with a header from a free-kick.

Sundowns pulled a goal back through Iqraam Rayners with 15 minutes remaining. One more goal would have given them victory in the tie on the away goals rule. However, Pyramids held firm despite heavy pressure from the visitors.

Pyramids are the fourth Egyptian side to lift the Champions League trophy after record 12-time winners Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Ismaily. Meanwhile, 2016 champions Sundowns head to this month’s Club World Cup in the United States on a low note.

-Reuters

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CAF Champions League

CAF Champions League Final: Fact File on the Egyptian Pyramid

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  1. 1. Pyramids aim to become the first new CAF Champions League winner since Sundowns (2016), the 13th in the modern era, and the 27th overall.
  • 2. This is the 19th Champions League-era final featuring an Egyptian club. Previous teams (Al Ahly 10, Zamalek 1) have won 11 titles.
  • 3. Including the pre-Champions League era, this is the 29th final for an Egyptian club, with 18 wins and 10 losses.
  • 4. Pyramids have played only 1 of their last 9 matches at home but are unbeaten in their last 23 home games this season (W19 D4) and last 28 overall (W24 D4).
  • 5. Pyramids scored in 22 of 23 home games this season; the only blank was a 0-0 draw vs Al Masry.
  • 6.This season, they’ve won all 7 home matches, scoring 26 and conceding 6, with one clean sheet. In total, they’ve lost just 1 of 11 home matches in the competition.
  • 7. Fiston Mayele leads with 8 goals in 12 matches (5 since group stage); Ibrahim Adel has 6 (also 5 post-group stage).
  • 8. Ramadan Sobhi has 5 assists in 9 games (joint-most), plus 2 goals. He’s had major impact off the bench twice.
  • 9. Askary Chibi has created 20 chances since the group stage — the most for Pyramids.
  1.  10. Pyramids have kept 3 clean sheets this season, all away, but remain dominant at home

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CAF Champions League

CAF Champions League Final: Fact File on Mamelodi Sundowns

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  1. 1. Sundowns are in their third CAF Champions League final (2001, 2016, 2024).
  • 2. South African Record: First South African club to reach three finals, surpassing Orlando Pirates (2).
  • 3. Sundowns hosted the first leg in all three finals. In 2001, they drew 1-1 at home and lost 2-0 away to Al Ahly.
  • 4. Sundowns beat Zamalek 3-0 at home, lost 1-0 away, and won 3-1 on aggregate.
  • 5. Sundowns have never scored in an away leg of a Champions League final, conceding five in total.
  • 6. The current final marks the second time Sundowns led at home and failed to win (also in 2001).
  • 7. A defeat would make Sundowns the first South African side to lose two finals.
  • 8. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 10 matches vs Egyptian opposition (4wins and 6 draws).
  • 9. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 4 visits to Egypt (2 wins and 2 draws).
  1. 10. A win would make Sundowns the first team since Al Ahly (2012) to win the title after failing to win the home leg.

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