Category: Football Africa

Quarter-finals for CAF Champions League 2024 Confirmed
by FSL News

Quarter-finals for CAF Champions League 2024 Confirmed

The journey for this year’s CAF Champions League quarter-finals has been mapped out as the official draw was held in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday.

Simba, the Tanzanian giants, are set to meet Al Ahly in the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League after the latest draw.

The Red Devils advanced to the knockout stages by finishing first in Group D with 12 points from six games.

The defending champions are set to face a challenging journey to the final, beginning with a quarter-final match against Simba.

The first leg is scheduled to take place on March 29th in Tanzania, just eight days before the second leg in Cairo.

If the champions emerge victorious against Simba, they will face the winner between Petro Atletico and TP Mazembe in the next round.

In the meantime, Mamelodi Sundowns will be up against Young Africans, who finished second behind Al Ahly in the group stage.

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals Draw Outcome:

First Leg: 29 – 30 March 2024

QF 1 | Simba FC (TAN) vs Al Ahly SC (EGY)

QF 2 | TP Mazembe (DRC) vs Atletico de Petroleos (ANG)

QF 3 | Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN) vs Asec Mimosas (CIV)

QF 4 | Young Africans (TAN) vs Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA)

Second Leg: 05 – 06 April 2024

QF 1 | Al Ahly SC (EGY) vs Simba FC (TAN)

QF 2 | Atletico de Petroleos (ANG) vs TP Mazembe (DRC)

QF 3 | vs Asec Mimosas (CIV) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN)

QF 4 | Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) vs Young Africans (TAN) 

 Semi-Final Draw Outcome:

SF 1: QF 3 Winner vs QF 4 Winner

SF 2: QF 2 Winner vs QF 1 Winner

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 African News.

Al Ahly beat rivals Zamalek to lift Egyptian Cup in Riyadh
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Al Ahly beat rivals Zamalek to lift Egyptian Cup in Riyadh

In the Egyptian Cup final held in Riyadh, Al Ahly beat Zamalek 2-0 to win the cup for a record 39th time.

The match was tightly contested, with no goals scored until the 84th minute when Imam Ashour scored for Al Ahly. Mohamed Afsha sealed the victory for Al Ahly in stoppage time.

The match was played in front of a capacity crowd at Al Waleed Park Stadium, which highlights African football’s popularity beyond the continent.

Al Ahly’s win continues their period of success, having won 11 of the last 13 domestic cup competitions.

Zamalek has suffered yet another disappointment in their ongoing effort to end Al Ahly’s dominance in football.

They have not won the cup since 2019, and this latest setback is particularly significant because they lost the Egyptian Premier League title to Ahly last season.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – African Football News.

Dates Confirmed for Champions League, Confederation Cup draw
by FSL News

Dates Confirmed for CAF Interclub quarter-final draw

The Quarter-Final draw for the 2023/24 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup will take place on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. 

The draw will be held in Cairo, Egypt, starting with the CAF Confederation Cup at 2:00 PM Cairo time (noon GMT), followed by the CAF Champions League at 3:00 PM Cairo time (1:00 PM GMT).

The CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup Quarter-Finals teams have been determined after the group stage ended this weekend.

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals Qualified teams:

Al Ahly (Egypt), ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Atletico Petroleos (Angola), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Simba SC (Tanzania), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Young Africans (Tanzania).

TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup Quarter-Finals Qualified teams:

USM Alger (Algeria), Zamalek (Egypt), Dreams FC (Ghana), RS Berkane (Morocco), Modern Future (Egypt), Abu Salem (Libya), Rivers United (Nigeria), Stade Malien (Mali).

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – African News.

CAF Confederation Cup's last eight set for quarter-final draw
by FSL News

Confederation Cup last eight set for quarter-final draw

The final eight teams to compete in the 2023/24 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup were confirmed on Sunday, March 3, after the conclusion of Match Day 6 in the group stages.

Four previous winners will be in the draw – the final list of quarter-finalists includes Rivers United from Nigeria, Dreams FC of Ghana, Abu Salem of Libya, and the Egyptian side Modern Future.

The four former champions are Rivers United, Dreams FC, Abu Salem, and Modern Future, who have all been exceptional in the competition and will be looking to make a name for themselves on the continent.

Last season’s winner of the competition – USM Alger, went on to lift the TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup in a thrilling encounter against record CAF Champions League holders Al Ahly.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone – CAF Confederation Cup

Ex-Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic set for Algeria job
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ex-Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic set for Algeria job

Algeria has hired Vladimir Petkovic as their new coach to lead the team through qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

Petkovic replaces Djamel Belmadi, who resigned earlier this year. Algeria is currently leading its qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup. The immediate task of Petkovic, the team’s coach, will be to continue building on this momentum.

Friendly matches against Bolivia and South Africa are on the horizon, and they will be the first test of his ability to motivate the team and establish his tactical philosophy.

He will arrive in Algiers this weekend, and a news conference is scheduled on Monday, according to a statement by the Algeria Football Federation.

Petkovic coached Switzerland in the 2018 World Cup, where they drew with Brazil and beat Serbia in the group stage before losing to Sweden in the round of 16.

After leaving Switzerland, he coached the French club Bordeaux but was fired in February 2022.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – African News.

Sundowns, Mazembe seal quarter-final places after wins
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sundowns, Mazembe seal quarter-final spots after wins 

Mamelodi Sundowns and TP Mazembe secured their places in the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League with victories in Group A on Saturday.

Sundowns won 2-0 away at Nouadhibou, thanks to first-half goals from Grant Kekana and Themba Zwane. 

The South African side started strongly and deservedly took the lead midway through the first half when Kekana headed home a free-kick from Marcelo Allende. 

Zwane added a second goal in the 70th minute, courtesy of a fine assist from substitute Lebohang Mokoena. Sundowns peppered the Nouadhibou goal with shots throughout the game, but goalkeeper Babacar Diop kept the scoreline respectable for the visitors. 

Sundowns’ win secured their place in the quarter-finals with one match remaining in the group stage, while Nouadhibou was eliminated.

TP Mazembe also secured their quarter-final place with a 3-0 win over Pyramids of Egypt. The DR Congo club started the match slowly but took the lead through Joel Beya’s goal. 

They extended their lead just before halftime with a skilful exchange inside the penalty area that led to Glody Likonza scoring. 

Mazembe netted a third early in the second half, but it was disallowed for offside.

Pyramids pushed for a comeback, but Mazembe’s defence stood firm and thwarted their attempts. Substitute Patient Mwamba sealed the victory for Mazembe in the dying moments of the game after capitalizing on a mistake by Pyramids’ Blati Toure. 

Mazembe’s win moved them to second place in the group with 10 points, while Pyramids are out of the competition with only four points.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – African News.

Angola's Petro Atletico into quarter-finals after Al Hilal draw
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Angola’s Petro Atletico reach quarter-finals after Al Hilal draw

Angolan team Petro Atletico secured their place in the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League despite being held to a 0-0 draw by Sudanese side Al Hilal in their penultimate Group C match on Friday. 

The game was played in Benghazi, where Hilal are hosting their home matches.

The result means that the Angolan champions advance to the last eight of the competition, having established an insurmountable lead at the top of their group. 

Petro knew they only needed one point to qualify, and they produced a disciplined defensive performance to earn the points they required. Al Hilal possessed the ball for most of the game and had more opportunities, but Petro goalkeeper Hugo Marques made several crucial saves to keep a clean sheet. 

They extended their unbeaten run to four games and secured their spot in the top two of Group C with nine points. 

Al Hilal and Esperance will compete for the other qualifying spot behind Petro.

IN GROUP B – Simba secured a goalless draw against ASEC Mimosa, elevating their position to the second spot with six points.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – African News.

Al Ahly's win sinks Medeama's knockout hopes
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Al Ahly’s win sinks Medeama’s knockout hopes

Al Ahly demonstrated their superiority in a tense 1-0 victory over Ghana’s Medeama in Kumasi, bringing them one step closer to the CAF Champions League quarter-finals.

The win keeps Al Ahly at the top of Group D with nine points, four ahead of CR Belouizdad and Young Africans, who will face each other on Saturday.

Despite their opposition’s request for a postponement due to an aeroplane accident, the game was played at its original time at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

Al Ahly had the added advantage of Percy Tau’s return from international duty, as well as the return of Amr El-Sulya and Karim Nedved, who had been out due to injury.

While the hosts put up a strong fight in the first half, Al Ahly’s goalkeeper, Mostafa Shobier, was up to the task, making some spectacular saves.

The second half saw Al Ahly dominate the game, with Hussein El-Shahat scoring the only goal of the match just four minutes in. Despite Medeama’s desperate attempts to equalize, Al Ahly maintained their composure, securing their place at the top of Group D with nine points.

With a strong performance like this, it’s clear that Al Ahly is not just a contender for the CAF Champions League title but a force to be reckoned with.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – CAF Champions League.

Baba Yara Stadium to host Dreams, Club Africain cracker
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Baba Yara Stadium to host Dreams, Club Africain cracker

Dreams FC will leave no stone unturned as they gear up for their upcoming CAF Confederation Cup match against Club Africain of Tunisia on Sunday.  

Ghana’s Baba Yara Stadium is set to host the contest as Dreams plan to upset their North African counterparts. In the first meeting, Club Africain won 2-0 in November 2023.

A win for Dreams FC would not only avenge the first-leg defeat to Club Africain but can virtually guarantee their progression to the next round. 

Coach Karim Zito is confident that Dreams FC can overcome the Tunisians and move closer to the competition’s knockout stages. 

Both sides are in excellent form – Club Africain won their last two league matches and Dreams is unbeaten in their last four games in the Ghana Premier League.

Dreams FC is determined to make the most of their home advantage and seal their spot in the knockout stages.

TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup Fixtures – Sunday, 25 February

  • 13h00 GMT | SuperSport United – Modern Future FC
  • 16h00 GMT | Abu Salem – Zamalek 
  • 16h00 GMT | Stade Malien – Diables Noirs
  • 16h00 GMT | Dreams FC – Club Africain
  • 16h00 GMT | Al Hilal Benghazi – USM Alger
  • 16h00 GMT | Academica do Lobito – Rivers United FC
  • 19h00 GMT | CO Coyah – Sagrada Esperanca
  • 19h00 GMT | Sekhukhune United – RS Berkane 

 

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – CAF Confederation Cup News. 

Mali's Mamadou Doumbia pens Watford long-term deal
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Mali’s Mamadou Doumbia pens Watford’s long-term deal 

Watford FC has signed Mali youth international striker Mamadou Doumbia on a five-year contract. 

The 18-year-old left-footed player will join the Hornets from the Malian side, Black Stars FC, on July 1, 2024.

Doumbia stands at 6ft 3in and has a combination of impressive ball control, flair, and natural finishing instincts.

The Striker made his international debut was marked by his performances at the 2023 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored four goals in five games, helping Mali to finish fourth. 

He continued his excellent form at the Under-17 World Cup, scoring four more goals, including a hat-trick against Uzbekistan in the team’s opening fixture. 

Mali went on to win the third-place play-off against Argentina, with Doumbia scoring the third goal.

The Hornets are in their second season back in the second tier, having last been relegated from the Premier League in 2022.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – African News.