CAF Champions League
ZAMALEK DETHRONES ESPERANCE TO REACH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI FINALS
Egyptian giants Zamalek reached the CAF Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2016 despite losing to holders Esperance of Tunisia 1-0 at Rades Olympic Stadium on Friday evening.
Zamalek qualified with an aggregate 3-2 victory having won the first leg 3-1 in Cairo last weekend. They will wait to see their opponent from Morocco’s Raja and DR Congo’s TP Mazembe who lock horns in Lubumbashi on Saturday afternoon. Raja won the first leg 2-0 in Casablanca.
Billel Ben Saha scored what proved to be the game’s lone goal from the spot after five minutes, but Esperance couldn’t find their much needed second goal to surrender the title they won in the past two seasons.
Right from the kickoff Esperance looked keen to find the opener which will ease their nerves. And they had what they looked for after just five minutes.
Fedi Ben Choug found his way past two defenders and passed to Ibrahim Ouattara, whose ball was handed by Zamalek’s defender Mahmoud Alaa inside the vital area. From the spot, Billel Ben Saha sent goalkeeper Mohamed Abo Gabal to the wrong direction to give his side an early lead.
Esperance controlled possession and tried to press Zamalek who opted to defend in numbers and rely on counter attacks. There were almost no more chances till the break. Both sides went to halftime with the hosts leading 1-0.
Less than a minute after restart Hamdou Elhouni found his way past Zamalek defense and sent a cross that was stopped by Alaa in time.
Elhouni remained the hosts’ danger man, and two minutes later his shot went just wide with goalkeeper Abo Gabal relieved.
Zamalek’s nearest chance came after 63 minutes when Achraf Bencharki’s shot was stopped by Esperance’s goalkeeper Moez Ben Chrifia.
Elhouni almost found the much needed goal for the hosts after 70 minutes, when his bullet was brilliantly stopped over the goal line by Abo Gabal.
Substitute Mohamed Ben Hamouda controlled the ball inside Zamalek’s area but his shot went wide with 12 minutes remaining.
Time passed with Zamalek happy to see their opponents at bay as Zamalek found their way to the final four.
CAF
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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