CAF Champions League
Tanzania’s Young Africans make ‘Yanga’ with three away goals in Angola
The 2025/26 season of the CAF Champions League got underway on Friday with three first-leg ties setting the tone for a busy opening weekend.
Young Africans issued the loudest statement, winning 3–0 away to Wiliete in Angola. Vipers SC took a valuable 1–0 success at African Stars, while Dadjè of Benin kept Al Ahly Tripoli at arm’s length in a goalless draw.
More first legs matches follow onm Saturday and Sunday across the continent before next weekend’s returns decide who progresses to October’s second preliminary round.
Young Africans, last season’s Tanzanian champions, produced a measured away performance in Benguela to put one foot in the next round.
They struck first on 32 minutes when Aziz Andabwile finished from close range after sustained pressure down the right.
The visitors then controlled the tempo and struck twice late on to underline their superiority: John Edmund guided in a neat effort on 72 minutes before Prince Dube curled home an 81st-minute third.
A clean sheet and three away goals leave Yanga firmly in charge before the return leg in Dar es Salaam.
In Namibia, Vipers SC claimed an early advantage in a cagey contest against African Stars.
The Ugandans were in front after just 14 minutes when defender Hillary Mukundane stole in at a set-piece to prod beyond the goalkeeper.
From there, Vipers settled into a disciplined shape, keeping the hosts at arm’s length and managing the game well in the second period.
African Stars pushed after the interval but found little space between the lines, leaving themselves with work to do in Kitende.
Benin’s Dadjè and Libya’s Al Ahly Tripoli remain finely poised after a tight 0–0 in Cotonou. Chances were scarce as both sides prioritised control in midfield.
The visitors will be satisfied to take the tie home level, but Dadjè’s organisation and intensity suggest a tricky night awaits in Tripoli.
With the stakes high and margins thin in these early rounds, small details in next weekend’s returns could decide the outcome.
This preliminary phase is the first step on a long road that runs through October’s second round to the group stage, which begins on 21 November.
Several heavyweights, including Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns, await at the next hurdle, while the defending champions Pyramids and Rwanda’s APR join later.
For Friday’s winners, the brief is clear: complete the job next week.
For the sides trailing, the mission is to reset quickly and make home advantage count when the competition resumes with the second legs between 26–28 September.
-Cafonline
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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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