By Kunle Solaja.

As the return leg of the CAF Champions League second-round tie between South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and Nigeria’s Remo Stars looms on Sunday, signs point to an uphill battle for the Nigerian champions.

With the reigning African Football League winners in commanding form, Remo Stars’ hopes of progressing to the lucrative group stage appear slim.

However, all may not be lost for the Ikenne-based side. Under the CAF competition regulations, elimination at this stage of the Champions League does not spell the end of continental engagement.

Article 15 of the CAF Champions League regulations stipulates that clubs ousted in the second round will automatically drop into the CAF Confederation Cup’s additional second round—a playoff stage that offers a route into the Confederation Cup group phase.

This means that, much like Nigeria’s Super Eagles, who face a qualification playoff in their 2026 World Cup campaign, Remo Stars will have another shot at continental football.

The club, making its second successive appearance in the CAF Champions League, will now look to regroup and push for redemption in the Confederation Cup, Africa’s second-tier competition.

Sunday’s decisive clash in Pretoria will determine whether Remo Stars extend their Champions League journey or shift focus to the Confederation Cup in their bid to sustain Nigeria’s presence in continental club football.

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The battle for places in the group stage of the CAF Champions League 2025/26 reaches a decisive stage this weekend, with clubs across Africa set for crucial second-leg matches in the second qualifying round.

After a tense round of first-leg encounters, most ties remain finely balanced, while a few teams carry commanding advantages into their decisive return fixtures.

The weekend action kicks off on Friday, October 24, as Power Dynamos host Al Hilal in Lusaka hoping to overturn a 2-1 deficit, while Vipers SC face Kenya Police in Kampala with everything still to play for. In North Africa, ES Tunis will look to complete the job at home after snatching a 1-0 win away to Rahimo of Burkina Faso. A similar sense of confidence surrounds JS Kabylie, who take a 3-0 cushion into their home fixture against Monastir in Tizi Ouzou.

Saturday’s schedule promises high drama. Young Africans will look to bounce back from a 1-0 loss when they welcome Silver Strikers to Dar es Salaam, while Petro de Luanda aim to consolidate their 2-0 first-leg advantage against Stade d’Abidjan in Angola. Defending champions Al Ahly return to the Cairo International Stadium with a slender 1-0 lead over Aigle Noir, and AS FAR host Horoya AC in Rabat after a 1-1 draw in Conakry.

In Johannesburg, Orlando Pirates face the toughest task of the round after suffering a shock 3-0 defeat to Saint Eloi Lupopo in Lubumbashi. The Buccaneers must produce a remarkable comeback at home on Saturday to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

Sunday’s fixtures wrap up the decisive weekend, with Simba SC defending a 3-0 lead over Nsingizini Hotspurs in Dar es Salaam, while Mamelodi Sundowns look comfortably placed after their emphatic 5-1 away win against Remo Stars, ahead of the return leg at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. MC Alger will also be in action at home to Colombe after a 1-1 stalemate in Cameroon.

At the end of the weekend, the winners will book their spots in the prestigious CAF Champions League group stage, joining Africa’s elite in the quest for continental supremacy.

CAF Champions League Qualifiers Fixtures: 

Friday, 24 October

• 13h00 GMT | Power Dynamos v Vipers
• 16h00 GMT | Al Hilal Kenya Police

Saturday, 25 October

• 13h00 GMT | Orlando Pirates v Saint Eloi Lupopo
• 14h00 GMT | Young Africans v Silver Strikers
• 15h00 GMT | Rivers United v Black Bulls
• 16h00 GMT | Petro de Luanda v Stade d’Abidjan
• 17h00 GMT | Al Ahly v Aigle Noir
• 18h00 GMT | JS Kabyile v Monastir
• 19h00 GMT | AS Far v Horoya

Sunday, 26 October

• 13h30 GMT | Mamelodi Sundowns v Remo Stars
• 16h00 GMT | ES Tunis v Rahimo
• 16h00 GMT | Stade Malien v Nouadhibou
• 19h00 GMT | MC Alger v Colombe
• 19h00 GMT | RS Berkane v Al Ahly Tripoli

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By Kunle Solaja

Remo Stars’ preparations for their CAF Champions League return leg against Mamelodi Sundowns have been thrown into disarray following visa delays by the South African Consulate General in Lagos.

Despite the Nigerian club’s early application for travel documents, only a fraction of the team received entry visas, forcing the cancellation of their initial travel plans.

Club officials told Sports Village Square that out of 43 visa applications submitted on October 10—nine days before last Sunday’s first leg in Abeokuta—only 11 were initially approved. The number was later increased to 26, but just 12 were players.

As a result, Remo Stars had to cancel their early Thursday morning flight booking with Air Tanzania and their hotel reservations in South Africa.

Officials of the club expressed concern that the delay could amount to an attempt to frustrate their participation in the return leg of the competition, which follows Sundowns’ emphatic 5–1 win in the first leg.

The incident mirrors a similar episode in September 2024, when the South African Consulate in Abuja reportedly denied visas to Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigers basketball team, preventing them from attending an international engagement.

Remo Stars are now racing against time to secure the remaining travel permits before the crucial fixture this weekend

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