The penultimate round of the CAF Champions League concluded on Saturday evening, leaving just one round remaining in what appears to be a challenging edition for Arab teams.
As the fifth round of matches in the CAF Champions League groups concluded, Egypt’s Al Ahly remains the sole Arab team in a relatively comfortable position, having secured qualification for the tournament’s quarter-finals.
Arab Chances in the CAF Champions League
In Group A, both Egyptian representatives, Pyramids FC and Nouadhibou of Mauritania, bid farewell to the tournament early, bowing out to TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, respectively.
In Group B, the situation for Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca seems highly complicated.
Wydad must secure a victory against group leaders ASEC Mimosas from Ivory Coast in the final round and hope for Simba SC from Tanzania to stumble against bottom-placed team, Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy.
In the likely event of Simba’s victory, Wydad would exit the tournament regardless of their own result.
Group C witnesses a fierce competition among three clubs for the second spot in the group: Tunisia’s Esperance and Etoile du Sahel, and Sudan’s Al-Hilal, following Petro Atletico’s assurance of topping the group.
The group will witness a top clash in the final round between Esperance and Al-Hilal, competing for the decisive spot.
Etoile du Sahel’s chances are slim, with their qualification relying on defeating Esperance in the penultimate round and subsequently overcoming Petro Atletico in the final match.
In Group D, Egypt’s Al Ahly secured their spot in the quarter-finals, while Algeria’s CR Belouizdad bid farewell to the tournament after suffering a heavy defeat with a 4-0 scoreline against Young Africans from Tanzania.
