CAF Champions League
CAF CLUB COMPETITIONS: ENYIMBA, PILLARS, OTHERS KNOW OPPONENTS
BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE
Nigeria’s Premier League champions, Enyimba will start next season’s CAF Champions League campaign in the first round with a first leg fixture against Burkinabe representatives, Rahimo FC, while Kano Pillars will go up against Ghana’s Asante Kotoko at the same stage.
While the People’s Elephants travel for the first leg, which holds between August 9 and 11, Pillars will host the Ghana representatives before travelling to Kumasi for the second leg fixed for between August 23 and 25.
If they pull through to the second round, which immediately precedes the group stage, Enyimba will challenge the winners of the tie between Sudan’s Al-Hilal Omdurman and Rayon Sports FC of Rwanda. Kano Pillars will go up against either Tunisia’s Étoile du Sahel or Hafia FC of Guinea.
The first leg of the second round is scheduled for September 13 to 15 and the reverse fixtures two weeks after.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, Rangers go straight into the second round to take on the winners of the first round between AS Pélican of Gabon and DR Congo’s AS Maniema Union.
For Niger Tornadoes, who will play the final of the Aiteo Cup at the weekend against Kano Pillars, their return to the continent for the first time since 2001 will see them challenge Santoba FC of Guinea in the first round with the first leg a home fixture.
If they go through, Tornadoes will have Ivorien side FC San Pédro to contend with in the second round, the first leg also holding at home.
Nigerian clubs have failed to make impact in the continent in the last seven years resulting in the country’s quota reduced to one team each in the last edition of the two club competitions.
Since Enyimba won the elite club competition back-to-back in 2003 and 2004, the best outing was semifinal final showing by Sunshine Stars in 2012 where eventual champions Al-Ahly of Egypt triumphed 4-3 aggregate.
In the Confederation Cup, Enyimba got to the last four in 2018 where Morococo’s Raja Casablanca stopped them 3-1 aggregate.
The full fixtures…
2019/20 CAF Champions League (First round first leg):
- Rahimo FC (Burkina Faso) v Enyimba (Nigeria)
- Kano Pillars (Nigeria) v Asante Kotoko (Ghana)
- Rayon Sports FC (Rwanda) v Al-Hilal (Sudan)
- Hafia FC (Guinea) v Étoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
- Brikama United (Gambia) v Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
- AS Tempête Mocaf (Central African Republic) v Al-Nasr SC (Libya)
- JS Kabylie (Algeria) v Al-Merrikh SC (Sudan)
- Stade Malien (Mali) v Horoya (Guinea)
- Buffles du Borgou (Benin Republic) v ASC Kara (Togo)
- UMS de Loum (Cameroon) v AS Vita Club (DR Congo)
- AS SONIDEP (Niger) v USM Alger (Algeria)
- Aigle Noir (Burundi) v Gor Mahia (Kenya)
- Atlabara FC (South Sudan) v Egypt1 (Egypt)
- Cano Sport Academy (Equatorial Guinea) v Mekelle 70 Enderta (Ethiopia)
- Dekedaha FC (Somalia) v Egypt2 (Egypt)
- LPRC Oilers (Liberia) v Génération Foot (Senegal)
- Africa Stars FC (Namibia) v KCCA (Uganda)
- Matlama FC (Lesotho) v Petro de Luanda (Angola)
- Fomboni FC (Comoros Islands) v Côte d’Or (Seychelles)
- AS Otôho (Congo Republic) v Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- SO de l’Armée (Côte d’Ivoire) v FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania)
- Cercle Mbéri Sportif (Gabon) v Elect-Sport FC (Chad Republic)
- Green Mamba (Eswatini) v ZESCO United (Zambia)
- Young Africans SC (Tanzania) v Township Rollers (Botswana)
- Big Bullets FC (Malawi) v FC Platinum (Zimbabwe)
- UD Songo (Mozambique) v Simba SC (Tanzania),
- KMKM (Zanzibar) v 1º de Agosto (Angola)
- Green Eagles (Zambia) v Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
- Fosa Juniors FC (Madagascar) v Pamplemousses (Mauritius)
2019/20 CAF Confederation Cup (First round first leg):
- Niger Tornadoes (Nigeria) v Santoba FC (Guinea)
- AS Pélican (Gabon) v AS Maniema Union (DR Congo)
- ASC SNIM(Mauritania) v ESAE (Benin Republic)
- US GN (Niger Republic) v Al-Ittihad SC (Libya)
- Maranatha FC (Togo) v LISCR FC (Liberia)
- Paradou AC (Algeria) v CI Kamsar(Guinea)
- Roche-Bois Bolton City (Mauritius) v Jwaneng Galaxy FC (Botswana)
- Mogadishu City Club (Somalia) v Malindi SC (Zanzibar)
- Akonangui FC (Equatorial Guinea) v Ashanti Gold SC (Ghana)
- TS Galaxy FC (South Africa) v Saint Louis Suns United (Seychelles)
- Buildcon FC (Zambia) v Young Buffaloes (Eswatini)
- Arta/Solar7 (Djibouti) v Al Khartoum SC (Sudan)
- DC Motema Pembe (DR Congo) v Stade Renard de Melong (Cameroon)
- AS Kigali (Rwanda) v KMC (Tanzania)
- Proline FC (Uganda) v Masters Security FC (Malawi)
- Bandari FC (Kenya) v Al-Ahly Shendi (Sudan)
- US Ben Guerdane (Tunisia) v Amarat United (South Sudan)
- Fasil Kenema SC (Ethiopia) v Azam FC (Tanzania)
- Triangle United (Zimbabwe) v Rukinzo FC Burundi)
- Egypt2 (Egypt) v Étoile du Congo (Congo Republic)
- CR Belouizdad (Algeria) v AS CotonTchad (Chad Republic)
First leg: August 9 – 11, 2019
Second leg: August 23 – 25, 2019
2019/20 CAF Champions League (Second Round 1st leg):
- Enyimba (Nigeria)/Rahimo FC (Burkina Faso) v Rayon Sports FC (Rwanda)/Al-Hilal Omdurman (Sudan)
- Asante Kotoko (Ghana)/Kano Pillars (Nigeria) v Hafia FC (Guinea)/Étoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
- AS Tempête Mocaf (Central African Republic)/Al-Nasr SC (Libya) v Brikama United(Gambia)/Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
- JS Kabylie (Algeria)/Al-Merrikh SC (Sudan) v Stade Malien (Mali)/Horoya (Guinea)
- Buffles du Borgou (Benin Republic)/ASC Kara(Togo) v UMS de Loum (Cameroon)/AS Vita Club (DR Congo)
- AS SONIDEP (Niger)/USM Alger (Algeria) v Aigle Noir (Burundi)/Gor Mahia (Kenya)
- Cano Sport Academy (Equatorial Guinea)/Mekelle 70 Enderta (Ethiopia) v Atlabara FC (South Sudan)/Egypt1 (Egypt)
- LPRC Oilers (Liberia)/Génération Foot (Senegal) v Dekedaha FC (Somalia)/Egypt2 (Egypt)
- Matlama FC (Lesotho)/Petro de Luanda (Angola) v Africa Stars FC (Namibia)/KCCA (Uganda)
- Fomboni FC (Comoros Islands)/Côte d’Or(Seychelles) v AS Otôho (Congo Republic)/Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- SO de l’Armée (Côte d’Ivoire)/FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania) v Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
- Cercle Mbéri Sportif (Gabon)/Elect-Sport FC (Chad Republic) v Espérance (Tunisia)
- Young Africans SC (Tanzania)/Township Rollers (Botswana) v Green Mamba (Eswatini)/ZESCO United (Zambia)
- Big Bullets FC (Malawi)/FC Platinum (Zimbabwe) v UD Songo (Mozambique)/Simba SC (Tanzania)
- Green Eagles (Zambia)/Orlando Pirates (South Africa) v KMKM (Zanzibar)/1º de Agosto (Angola)
- Fosa Juniors FC (Madagascar)/Pamplemousses (Mauritius) v TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
2019/20 CAF Confederation Cup (Second round first leg):
- AS Pélican (Gabon)/AS Maniema Union (DR Congo) v Rangers (Nigeria)
- Niger Tornadoes (Nigeria)/Santoba FC (Guinea) v FC San Pédro (Côte d’Ivoire)
- ASC SNIM (Mauritania)/ESAE (Benin Republic) v Salitas SC (Burkina Faso)
- US GN (Niger Republic)/Al-Ittihad SC (Libya) v Hassania Agadir (Morocco)
- Maranatha FC (Togo)/LISCR FC (Liberia) v Djoliba SC (Mali)
- Paradou AC (Algeria)/CI Kamsar (Guinea) v CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
- Roche-Bois Bolton City (Mauritius)/Jwaneng Galaxy FC (Botswana) v Zanaco FC (Zambia)
- Mogadishu City Club (Somalia)/Malindi SC (Zanzibar) Egypt1 (Egypt)
- Akonangui FC (Equatorial Guinea)/Ashanti Gold SC (Ghana) v RS Berkane (Morocco)
- TS Galaxy FC (South Africa)/Saint Louis Suns United (Seychelles) v CNaPS Sport (Madagascar)
- Buildcon FC (Zambia)/Young Buffaloes (Eswatini) v Bidvest Wits (South Africa)
- Arta/Solar7 (Djibouti)/Al Khartoum SC (Sudan) v DC Motema Pembe (DR Congo)/Stade Renard de Melong (Cameroon)
- AS Kigali (Rwanda)/KMC (Tanzania) v Proline FC (Uganda)/Masters Security FC (Malawi)
- Bandari FC (Kenya)/Al-Ahly Shendi (Sudan) v US Ben Guerdane (Tunisia)/Amarat United (South Sudan)
- Fasil Kenema SC (Ethiopia)/Azam FC (Tanzania) v Triangle United (Zimbabwe)/Rukinzo FC (Burundi)
- Egypt2 (Egypt)/Étoile du Congo (Congo Republic) v CR Belouizdad (Algeria)/AS CotonTchad (Chad Republic)
First leg: September 13 – 15, 2019
Second leg: September 27 – 29, 2019
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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- 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.
- 10. Pyramids have kept 3 clean sheets this season, all away, but remain dominant at home
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- 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).
- 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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