The group stages of the 2025/26 Caf Champions League kicked off with an exciting slate of matches, showcasing dominant performances from some of the biggest clubs.
In Group A, reigning champions Pyramids made a statement by defeating Nigeria’s Rivers United 3-0 in Cairo, thanks to a stunning hat trick from Ahmed Atef El Sayed.
Meanwhile, Caf Confederation Cup winners RS Berkane matched that scoreline against Zambia’s Power Dynamos, who had previously knocked out Vipers. Goals from Aaron Katebe, a clinical finish by Mounir Chouiar, and Paul Bassène’s second-half penalty sealed the victory for the Moroccans.
Over in Group B, record champions Al Ahly put on a show with a commanding 4-1 win against JS Kabylie in Cairo. Trezeguet found the net twice, Mohamed Sherif added another, and a late own goal from Kabylie capped off a convincing performance.
Tanzania’s Young Africans also got off to a solid start, clinching a 1-0 win over FAR Rabat in Zanzibar, courtesy of a sharp second-half finish from Prince Dube.
Group C saw wins for both Sundowns and Al Hilal. Sundowns triumphed 3-1 over DR Congo’s St. Eloi Lupopo, with Nuno Santos netting a brace and Marcello Allende adding another goal.
Al Hilal secured a gritty 2-1 victory against MC Alger in Kigali, with goals from Abdelrazek Omar and Mohamed Abdelrahman (“Al Gharbal”), even after finishing the match with 10 men.
In contrast, Simba faced a tough home loss, going down 1-0 to Angola’s Petro Atletico, with the lone goal scored by Benny. In the same group, Tunisia’s Esperance could only manage a draw against Mali’s Stade Malien in Tunis.
With match day two on the horizon, the excitement of the competition is set to continue next weekend.
- Simba 0-1 Petro Atletico
- RS Berkane 3-0 Power Dynamos
- Pyramids 3-0 Rivers United
- Al Ahly 4-1 JS Kabylie
- Esperance 0-0 Stade de Malien
- Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 St. Eloi Lupopo
- Young Africans 1-0 FAR Rabat
- Al Hilal Omdurman 2-1 MC Alger
