Eight clubs from each of the CAF TotalEnergies Champions League and Confederation Cup are now gearing up for the knock-out stage, scheduled to kick-off in March when clubs will clash against each other in a two-leg match, away and return, with the score of both games deciding who goes through to the semi-finals.
The last day of the group stages of the 2024/25 season of both competitions produced some exhilarating football leading to the finalisation of the line-up of the eight remaining clubs in each competition.
As cafonline wrote on its official website, Champions League’s Match Day 6 completed another dramatic pool phase, with 2016 champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and MC Alger from Algeria completing the knockout stage line-up.
Reigning champions Ahly SC (Egypt), Al Hilal (Sudan), AS FAR (Morocco), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Orlando Pirates (South Africa) and Pyramids (Egypt) joined the eight confirmed sides set to compete in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Six of the clubs have lifted the coveted title before, with reigning champions Ahly chasing a record-extending 13th trophy win. Esperance have four previous victories, while Morocco’s AS FAR, Mamelodi Sundowns, MC Alger and Orlando Pirates each have a single title to their name.
Sudanese Al Hilal have been the surprise of the competition alongside Egypt’s Pyramids FC, who will look to rival their Egyptian counterparts’ success on the continent. The latter will be making their debut in the knockout stages with the hope of continuing their impressive runs in the tournament.
The Champions League remains Africa’s most prestigious sought after club title, with the competition enjoying exceptional growth over the last few seasons.
With the eight clubs to play in the quarter-finals decided, CAF will in due course communicate details of the official draw that will map out the thrilling knockout stages of the tournament.
The Champions League knock-out stage qualified teams include Ahly SC (Egypt), Al Hilal (Sudan), AS FAR (Morocco), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates (South Africa), Pyramids (Egypt), and MC Alger (Algeria).
On the other hand, the final line-up clubs to compete in the knockout stages of the 2024/25 edition of the Confederation Cup were decided on Sunday 19 January following a stirring wrap-up of the group stages that produced 26 goals in eight games.
Match Day 6 featured an unpredictable group stage campaign that saw Ivorian giants Asec Mimosas powering into the quarter-finals with a commanding 4-0 win over Botswana’s Orapa United, while Egypt’s Masri overcame Black Bulls from Mozambique 3-1 to secure their place.
The two sides join defending champions Zamalek SC (Egypt), CS Constantine, USM Alger (Algeria), RS Berkane (Morocco), Simba SC (Tanzania) and Stellenbosch FC (South Africa), who all secured their respective places with a game to spare.
The eight quarter-finalists have set up what promises to be a fiery knockout stage of the competition, with three of the qualified clubs having lifted the Confederation Cup before. Zamalek SC and RS Berkane are two-time winners, while USM Alger won the competition once. Asec Mimosas were once African champions when they lifted the Champions League in 1998 and will be aiming to end their continental drought this season.
The quarter-finals of CAF’s second-tier tournament will also see tournament debutants Stellenbosch FC looking to carry on their impressive run, along with CS Constantine, who made it to the knockout stages after their first group stage appearance, having been knocked out of the competition twice in the preliminary stages.
Egypt’s Masri’s return to CAF Interclub competitions has also had them enjoy a dream run that sees them amongst the remaining eight clubs in the competition.
The two-legged quarter-finals of the Confederation Cup will take place on 30 March and 6 April. CAF will soon announce details of the official draw to map out the exciting knockout stages of the competition.
On the other hand, on Monday, CAF released on their official website that the eagerly-anticipated final draw of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 will be held in Rabat on 27 January when the 24 competing teams will learn their opponents.
The draw, to be attended by the nations that qualified, will be conducted at 8pm Cairo time.
The teams will be placed into six pools each containing four sides. The top two teams in each group and the four best third-placed sides advance to the round of 16.
The draw provides the national teams with the opportunity to assess the excellent match venues, training facilities and hotel infrastructure in Morocco.
Morocco will be hosting the finals for the first time since 1988 as it enters an exciting time. The North African nation are also co-hosts of the 2030 FIFA World Cup along with Spain and Portugal.
This will be the 35th edition of the AFCON which was first played in 1957. It is the third oldest continental competition in football behind South America (1916) and Asia (1956).
The 24 teams that will be in the draw for the 2025 finals are as follows, with their previous appearances and best finish included: Algeria (21st appearance, champions in 1990, 2019); Angola (10th appearance, quarter-finalists in 2008, 2010, 2023); Benin (5th appearance, quarter-finalists in 2019); Botswana (2nd appearance, group stages in 2012); Burkina Faso (14th appearance, runners-up in 2013); Cameroon (22nd appearance, champions in 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017); Comoros (2nd appearance, round of 16 in 2021); Cote d’Ivoire (26th appearance, champions in 1992, 2015, 2023); Democratic Republic of Congo (21st appearance, champions in 1968, 1974); Egypt (27th appearance, champions in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010); Equatorial Guinea (5th appearance, fourth place in 2015); Gabon (9th appearance, quarter-finalists in 1996, 2012); Mali (14th appearance, runners-up in 1972); Morocco (20th appearances, champions in 1976); Mozambique (6th appearance, group stages in 1986, 1996, 1998, 2010, 2023); Nigeria (21st appearance, champions in 1980, 1994, 2013); Senegal (18th appearance, champions in 2021); South Africa (12th appearance, champions in 1996); Sudan (10th appearance, champions in 1970); Tanzania (4th appearance, group stage in 1980, 2019, 2023); Tunisia (22nd appearance, champions in 2004); Uganda (8th appearance, runners-up in 1978); Zambia (19th appearance, champions in 2012) and Zimbabwe (6th appearance, group stage in 2004, 2006, 2017, 2019, 2021).
* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 January, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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