North African giants eye CAF Inter-Club group stage as key fixtures loom

North African heavyweights Al-Hilal Omdurman, Wydad AC and Zamalek will command attention on Friday as the CAF Inter-Club competitions resume, with group stage qualification on the line.

The trio enter their respective second-leg matches in strong positions, seeking to confirm their progress.

Sudanese powerhouse Al-Hilal take a narrow 1-0 advantage into their CAF Champions League clash against Kenya’s Police FC.

With their Omdurman base unavailable, the side will host the decisive fixture at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Benghazi, Libya.

A draw would be enough to send them through.

In Zambia, Power Dynamos hold the upper hand against Uganda’s Vipers after a 2-1 away victory in Entebbe.

The Zambian champions will qualify if they avoid defeat in the return leg in Ndola.

The CAF Confederation Cup will also deliver four matches, highlighted by the showdown between Ghana’s Asante Kotoko and Morocco’s Wydad AC.

The Moroccan giants are in command after a 1-0 first-leg win in Accra and are expected to finish the job at home under the floodlights of Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca.

In Egypt, Zamalek are virtually assured of a place in the next round following their 6-0 demolition of Somalia’s Dekedda in the first leg.

The Cairo club, led by a confident attacking unit, will aim to maintain their momentum at the Cairo International Stadium.

Elsewhere, Tanzania’s Azam FC and Algeria’s CR Belouizdad are also tipped to progress, both enjoying home advantage after strong away results.

Azam face Zanzibar’s KMKM in Dar es Salaam, while Belouizdad welcome Guinea’s Hafia to Algiers.

Friday’s fixtures (GMT):
Champions League

13:00 Power Dynamos (Zambia) v Vipers (Uganda)

16:00 Al-Hilal Omdurman (Sudan) v Police FC (Kenya)

Confederation Cup

14:00 Azam (Tanzania) v KMKM (Zanzibar)

15:00 Zamalek (Egypt) v Dekedda (Somalia)

17:00 CR Belouizdad (Algeria) v Hafia (Guinea)

20:00 Wydad (Morocco) v Asante Kotoko (Ghana)