CAF Champions League
Enyimba, Remo Stars among home sides seeking reverse upsets in Champions League 2nd legs
After a highly entertaining opening round of the CAF Champions League 1st Preliminary Round, clubs are preparing for yet another action-packed weekend of African club football.
The opening round saw some interesting results and upsets this past weekend, setting up another round of ties that fans of the African game can look forward to.
After holding on to a narrow 1-0 victory in Ghana, Medeama SC travel to Nigeria with a slim advantage ahead of their return leg with Remo Stars at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
In Zambia, Power Dynamos host Namibia’s African Stars after a 2-1 first leg loss in Soweto.
Dynamos will not only be looking at getting a result at Ndola’s Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, but also aiming at getting a confidence boosting win ahead of their start to the Zambian Premier League next week.
A match to certainly look forward to this weekend is without a doubt Al Ahli Benghazi’s trip to Aba in Nigeria where they will face Enyimba.
The two sides produced one of the most electrifying high-scoring fixtures last weekend that concluded in a 4-3 victory for the Libyan’s who will have their work cut out in Aba.
Moving over to Cote d’Ivoire, TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2023 hosting venue, Yamoussoukro Stadium plays host to Asec Mimosas against Coton Sport of Benin.
The two sides played out to a goalless draw in the first leg, paving the way for another tightly contested match where both sides will be going all out for the result.
In the northern parts of the continent, Tunisian giants, Etoile du Sahel travel to the Chahid Hamlaoui Stadium in Constantine, Algeria with a 2-0 cushion to face CS Constantine.
While the Tunisians carry somewhat of a comfortable lead, the hosts will be buoyed by the highly vocal fans of Constantine who are known to create an intimidating atmosphere in their full voice.
A similar uphill task awaits Uganda’s Vipers SC, who will be aiming at reversing a 2-0 loss suffered at the hands of Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy last weekend.
Fortunately for The Venoms, they will be at their St Mary’s Stadium home base in Kampala which should give them a slight advantage.
Further down the continent, former champions (1995) Orlando Pirates welcomes Comoros’ Djabal FC with a slender 1-0 advantage following a successful trip to the Islanders last weekend.
CAF Champions League Fixtures | 24 – 27 August:
Thursday, 24 August 2023
- Gaadiidka 0-2 APR FC
Friday, 25 August
- Bumamuru 5-1 CS de Bendje
- Al Merrikh SC 0-0 AS Otoho
- Orlando Pirates 4-0 Djabal FC
Saturday, 26 August
- Power Dynamos vs African Stars
- Green Mamba vs UD do Songo
- Etoile du Sahel vs SC Constantine
- AS Far vs ASKO De Kara
- Young Africans vs ASAS Djibouti
- Vipers SC vs Jwaneng Galaxy FC
Sunday, 27 August
- Generation Foot vs Haifa FC
- LISCR FC vs Bo Rangers FC
- Remo Stars FC vs Medeama SC
- Saint George SC vs KMKM SC
- FCB Nyasa Big Bullets vs Dragon FC
- Enyimba vs Al Ahli Benghazi
- Asec Mimosas vs Coton Sport Benin
- Coton Sport FC de Garoua vs AS Real De Bamako
- Al Ahli Tripoli vs FC Nouadhibou
- AS Vita Club vs CD Primeiro de Agosto
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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