Defending champions Ahly of Egypt face Sudan’s Al-Hilal in what CAF.com promises to be a high-stakes encounter in the African Champions League. Ahly, 12-time record winners of the competition, finished runners-up in their group but are aiming to become the first club to claim the title three seasons in a row.
Al-Hilal, coached by DR Congo’s Florent Ibengé, topped their group despite playing home matches in Mauritania due to ongoing conflict in Sudan. Their solid defence, CAF says, will be crucial against the reigning champions.
Pyramids, another Egyptian side that has impressed with their attacking prowess, will face Moroccan giants AS FAR. Pyramids, with Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurčić at the helm, scored 14 goals in the group stage, the joint-highest tally, while AS FAR, led by Portuguese coach Alexandre Santos, went unbeaten during their group campaign.
South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns will take on Esperance Sportive de Tunis of Tunisia. Sundowns, winners in 2016, are aiming to break their semi-final barrier, having failed to progress beyond that stage since their title win.
Esperance, four-time champions, topped their group under Romanian coach Laurențiu Reghecampf.
The final quarter-final match will see MC Alger of Algeria, who conceded just two goals during the group stage, take on South Africa’s Orlando Pirates. Pirates, the 1995 champions, topped their group with 14 points and are looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time since finishing runners-up in 2013. MC Alger, under Tunisian coach Khaled Ben Yahia, boast the competition’s stingiest defence.
Following the quarter-final draw, the semi-final line-up was also determined. The winner of the clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and Esperance will face either Ahly or Al-Hilal. Meanwhile, the victor between MC Alger and Orlando Pirates will meet the winner of the Pyramids versus AS FAR tie.
All quarter-final matches will be played over two legs, with the first leg scheduled for 1 April and the return leg a week later on 8 April.
The semi-finals will follow a similar format, with the winners advancing to the prestigious final in June.
In the second-tier African Confederation Cup, two-time champions Zamalek of Egypt resume their title defence against tournament debutants Stellenbosch FC of South Africa.
The reigning champions Zamalek will be in search of back-to-back titles and breezed through the group stages unbeaten with 14 points from a possible 18. They also have a new coach in former Nigeria tactician José Peseiro, who replaced Christian Gross just last week. The Portuguese is a former Ahly coach and led the Super Eagles to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire in 2023.
Stellenbosch are in their maiden season in CAF Interclub football and came through a difficult pool by finishing runners-up to RS Berkane. CAF states they are a team packed with good young talent, who will have been on a steep learning curve this season. Their coach Steve Barker is the nephew of legendary former South Africa tactician Clive Barker, and has developed a strong reputation in his own right.
Egyptian side Al-Masri take on an in-form Simba of Tanzania who are aiming to go beyond the last-eight stage for the first time since the 2021/22 season.
Al-Masri finished runners-up to Egyptian rivals Zamalek in their pool as they took nine points. They were semi-finalists in this competition in 2018 but lost out to AS Vita Club and will be seeking to reach a first continental final. They also reached the quarter-finals in both 2019-20 and 2021-22, but on both occasions lost out to Morocco’s RS Berkane.
Simba will be hoping for their best ever finish in the Confederation Cup having topped their pool with an impressive haul of 13 points from a possible 18. They were quarter-finalists in 2021-22 and did reach the final of the CAF Cup in 1993, but have yet to lift a continental title. They have young South African coach Fadlu Davids in charge and he has impressed since joining in July 2024.
Ivorian powerhouse Asec Mimosas, who are yearning for continental glory again, will take on two-time champions RS Berkane of Morocco. Berkane have been the best performing side of the group stages, collecting the most points (16) without a loss in the group stage campaign.
A huge Algerian derby awaits in what promises to be an explosive North African duel. CS Constantine, who are making their debut in the knockout stages, take on a USM Alger side that is looking to reclaim the title they won in 2022-23.
The semi-final draw of the competition was also conducted. The winner of the tie between RS Berkane and Asec Mimosas will face the victor of the all-Algerian quarter-final between USMA and CS Constantine.
The second semi-final will be between the winner of the tie between Simba SC and Al-Masri, and the clash between Zamalek and Stellenbosch.
The two-legged quarter-final fixtures are to be contested on 2 April and 9 April.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 27 February, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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