CAF Champions League
ENYIMBA, PLATEAU UNITED, OTHERS GET NEW CONTINENTAL CALENDAR
Even before kick-off, the calendar for the upcoming continental clubs competition has changed. Since March, there have been disruption of general sporting calendars and the CAF competitions have not been exempted.
The finals of the currently extended season are yet to be played even though the fixtures for the upcoming seasons have been drawn.
The whole episode is occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Nigerian publication, ThisDay, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has for the second time, reverted to midweek fixtures for club competitions for 2020/21 season.
The new development thus meant that both Plateau United and Enyimba FC in Champions League and Kano Pillars in CAF Confederation Cup will be having midweek matches after fulfilling the local league fixtures at weekends when the new season gets under way soon.
ThisDay quoted a CAF official that the latest kick-off date for both the Champions League and Confederation Cup competitions is Friday, 27 November.
Originally, they were set to start on 7 August, and then pushed back to 20 November because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, the two-leg preliminary round matches are slated for 27/29 November and 4/6 December, followed by round-of-32 games on 22/23 December and 5/6 January.
The other dates in both competitions remain unchanged with the first Champions League matchday on 12/13 February and the Confederation Cup series beginning on 10 March.
After six match days come two-leg quarterfinals in May, home-and-away semi finals in June and single-match finals in July.
Four of the 15 Champions League rounds will be staged on Tuesdays or Wednesdays as CAF battles to find match dates in a calendar that must also accommodate national teams.
Six of the 17 Confederation Cup rounds are also scheduled for midweek with three offering clubs a choice of playing on Tuesday or Wednesday and three others on Wednesdays.
Most participants will be unhappy at the prospect of having to stage CAF matches during the week as the system did not work when previously enforced a few years ago.
The sight of tiny crowds dotted around huge stadiums gave the incorrect impression that there was little interest in the competitions.
To reduce electricity costs and avoid the risk of power outages that are common in African countries, many clubs played matches in the afternoon during work days.
This meant that the majority of supporters could not attend because a traditional working day in Africa ends around 1500 GMT.
Afternoon kick-offs did not suit the footballers either with matches often played in stamina-draining temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius or higher.
This problem applies to even the most powerful clubs with TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo — winners of 11 CAF titles — playing midweek matches in the afternoon.
To date, 49 clubs have qualified for the Champions League and 43 for the Confederation Cup, the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League.
Heading the Champions League line-up are Al Ahly, whose 0-0 draw with Al Ittihad in Alexandria on Monday ensured them of a top-two finish although they have seven games to play.
Ahly have been African champions a record eight times and face Wydad Casablanca of Morocco during October in the 2019/2020 semi finals.
Zamalek of Egypt and Raja Casablanca of Morocco are the other semi-finalists and both are likely to be back in the elite competition next season.
Raja lead the Moroccan Botola Pro 1 standings while Zamalek hold an eight-point advantage over Al Mokawloon Al Arab in the race for second place behind runaway leaders Ahly.
There will also be numerous debutants, including Forest Rangers, a Zambian club who qualified despite 28 of the staff testing positive for Covid-19 when the season restarted.
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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CAF Champions League
BREAKING! Visa Delay Hampers Remo Stars’ Travel Plans for CAF Champions League Return Leg
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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By Kunle Solaja
The CAF Champions League 2025/26 second preliminary round produced fireworks on Sunday, with several African powerhouses asserting early dominance.
Among the standout results was a ruthless display by South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, who humiliated Nigeria’s Remo Stars 5–1 in Abeokuta to all but seal qualification for the group stage.
It is the first time a Nigerian club conceded five goals in a home match of a continental competition.
The match, played at the MKO Abiola Stadium, saw the South African champions impose themselves from the outset, showing why they remain one of the continent’s most formidable sides.
Tashreeq Matthews opened the scoring early in the first half, capitalising on a defensive lapse by the home side.
Remo Stars, making only their second appearance in the competition, struggled to match the pace and precision of their visitors.
Before the break, Peter Shalulile doubled Sundowns’ advantage, converting a direct ball from goal kick to beat the entire field as Remo Stars players probably thought the player was offside.
However, there are exceptions to offside rule as players cannot be offside when they receive the ball directly from throw-in, corner kick or goal kick.
The goal highlighted Mamelodi Sundowns’ superior technical quality and tactical discipline.
The second half turned into a one-sided affair. Miguel Reisinho made it 3–0 in the 61st minute, effectively ending any hopes of a Remo Stars comeback.
As the Nigerians pushed forward in search of a response, they were repeatedly punished on the counter. Arthur Sales and Tsiki Ntsabeleng added two more goals to complete the rout and underline Sundowns’ clinical edge.
Remo Stars’ only moment of joy came in the 77th minute, when Samson Olasupo scored a consolation goal following a scramble in the Sundowns’ penalty area. However, it was little more than a brief respite in a night dominated by the visitors’ attacking brilliance.
The 5–1 result leaves the South Africans with one foot firmly in the group stage ahead of the return leg in Pretoria next weekend. For Remo Stars, the daunting task now is to salvage pride and experience from what has been a harsh lesson at the top level of African club football.
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