CAF Champions League
CAF Champions League final draw holds in Doha
The draw for the quarter-finals of the 2024/25 CAF Champions League will take place in Doha, Qatar on Thursday, where the eight remaining sides will learn their path to the final.
The four group winners will be drawn against the four runners-up, though they cannot meet the team who advanced to the knockout stage from their pool. The draw for the semi-finals will be conducted at the same time.
Here is a look at the eight remaining teams in the competition.
GROUP WINNERS
AL HILAL
Country: Sudan
Coach: Florent Ibengé (DR Congo)
Best finish: Runners-up 1987, 1992
Al Hilal were forced to play their ‘home’ games in Mauritania due to the conflict in their own country, but topped their pool in fine style with 10 points from a possible 18. Their success has been built around a tight defence, bar a blow-out 4-0 loss to TP Mazembe in their final pool game. They have the experienced Congolese coach Florent Ibengé in charge and have advanced from the group stage for the first time since they reached the semi-finals in 2015.
AS FAR
Country: Morocco
Coach: Alexandre Santos (Portugal)
Best finish: Winners 1985
Moroccan side AS FAR went unbeaten through the pool stage with two wins and four draws, topping the group with 10 points. They were one of only two clubs that did not lose a pool stage game. They have recently appointed Portuguese coach Alexandre Santos. The club were champions in 1985 but have not been this far in the competition since a semi-final showing in 1988.
ESPERANCE SPORTIVE DE TUNIS
Country: Tunisia
Coach: Laurențiu Reghecampf (Romania)
Best finish: Winners 1994, 2011, 2018, 2019
Esperance edged Egyptian side Pyramids on head-to-head to top their pool with 13 points from a possible 18. The duo of South African Elias Mokwana and Tunisian Achref Jabri each grabbed three goals in the pool stages and will be dangermen again. Romanian coach Laurențiu Reghecampf has been in charge since November, with the side losing only one of their 19 fixtures in all competitions since his appointment. This past weekend they lifted the Tunisian Super Cup.
ORLANDO PIRATES
Country: South Africa
Coach: Jose Riveiro (Spain)
Best finish: Winners 1995
Orlando Pirates are into the knockout rounds of the CAF Champions League for the first time since they reached the final in 2013. They have been riding a wave of success under Spanish coach Jose Riveiro and their 14 points from a possible 18 in the pool stage was the highest of any team as they went unbeaten. Their 2-1 win at Al Ahly in their final group game will have given them a huge boost in confidence.
GROUP RUNNERS-UP
AL AHLY
Country: Egypt
Coach: Marcel Koller (Switzerland)
Best finish: Winners 1982, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24
The record 12-time winners finished runners up to Orlando Pirates but have often stumbled through the pool stages of late, only to turn it on in the knockout rounds and dominate, leading to four titles in the last five years. They have the skill and experience to beat any team, especially over two legs. They are seeking to become the first team ever to lift the trophy three years in a row.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Country: South Africa
Coach: Miguel Cardoso (Portugal)
Best finish: Winners 2016
Mamelodi Sundowns were runners-up to AS FAR in their group and failed to find their usual fluency up front with five goals scored in their six games. But they too have the experience to navigate the knockout rounds having reached this stage in nine of the previous 10 seasons. They were champions in 2016 but have not been past the semi-finals since.
MC ALGER
Country: Algeria
Coach: Khaled Ben Yahia (Tunisia)
Best finish: Winners 1976
MC Alger secured nine points in their pool to finish runners-up to Al Hilal but did so by scoring only four goals. Their campaign has been built on defence, having conceded just two goals, the least of any side in the pool stages. They were champions in 1976 but have not been past the quarter-finals since then. They hired coach Khaled Ben Yahia in December following the exit of Patrice Beaumelle.
PYRAMIDS FC
Country: Egypt
Coach: Krunoslav Jurčić (Croatia)
Best finish: Group Stage 2023-24
Pyramids FC were the joint leading scorers in the group stage with 14 goals as they finished runners-up in their pool to Esperance.
They reached the knockout rounds for the first time in their second year of competing in the CAF Champions League having exited in the group phase in 2023-24. They are led by Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurčić, who has been in his post for a little over a year.
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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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