The stage is set for the knockout phase of the 2024/25 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League following the quarter-final and semi-final draws conducted by the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) on Thursday, 20 February.
Hosted live from the state-of-the-art studios of CAF’s media rights partners, beIN SPORTS, in Doha, Qatar, the draw has delivered four compelling quarter-final fixtures that will see eight of Africa’s top clubs battle over two legs to secure a place in the semi-finals.
Defending champions Al Ahly SC of Egypt face Sudan’s Al Hilal SC in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter. Al Ahly, 12-time winners of the competition, finished runners-up in their group but are tough customers, 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 will be crucial against the reigning champions.
Pyramids FC, the 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.
In another mouth-watering clash, 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 and recently claimed the Tunisian Super Cup 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 as runners-up in 2013. MC Alger, under Tunisian coach Khaled Ben Yahia, boast the competition’s meanest 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 Al 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.
2024/25 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals:
- QF 1: Al Ahly SC (EGY) vs Al Hilal SC (SDN)
- QF 2: Pyramids FC (EGY) vs AS FAR (MAR)
- QF 3: Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN)
- QF 4: MC Alger (ALG) vs Orlando Pirates (RSA)
Semi-Final Draw Outcome:
- SF 1: Mamelodi Sundowns/Esperance Sportive de Tunis vs Al Ahly SC/Al Hilal SC
- SF 2: MC Alger/Orlando Pirates vs Pyramids FC/AS FAR
Interesting facts and statistics on the eight remaining clubs can be viewed HERE.
Frederick Marfo is a sportswriter and social worker well known for his advocacy for equal chances and rights for all athletes, especially those with disabilities.
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