Epic quarterfinals in the African Champions League

Text by: David Kalfa Follow

The quarter-finals of the African Champions League (C1) take place on February 28 and 28: Zamalek-Espérance Tunis, Raja Casablanca-Tout Puissant Mazembe, Al Ahly-Mamelodi Sundowns, Wydad Casablanca-Étoile du Sahel. Presentation of these four meetings between former C1 winners.

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These eight teams have won 29 of the 55 editions of the most prestigious African cup of football clubs. They find themselves in the quarterfinals of the Champions League (C1) on February 28 and 29, 2020. Presentation of these four clashes of the titans.

Zamalek (Egypt) - Espérance Tunis (Tunisia), February 28 at 4 p.m. UT

Esperance, reigning African champion, and Zamalek, winner of the 2019 Confederation Cup, are definitely on the go. The Egyptian club beat its Tunisian rival 3-1 in the African Super Cup on February 14 at Al Rayyan.

Since then, the Cairotes have also won the Egyptian Super Cup against their rivals Al Ahly. They are also at the heart of a controversy. They indeed boycotted a national championship match (Egyptian Premier League) against this same Al Ahly to be able to properly prepare their reunion with the Esperantists. Largely ahead of the Egyptian Premier League, the “White Knights” are now betting everything on the C1.

The Tunisians, them, at the head of their championship, play on several tables. Four times crowned in the Champions League (1994, 2011, 2018, 2019), the “Blood and Gold” can become the third most honored club in the history of the competition ahead of… Zamalek (5 victories: 1984, 1986, 1993 , 1996, 2002), if they go after this 2020 Champions League.

Raja Casablanca (Morocco) - Tout Puissant Mazembe (DR Congo), February 28 at 7 p.m. UT

Another high-flying duel between the "Green Eagles", African champions 1989, 1997 and 1999, and the "Ravens", kings of the continent in 1967, 1968, 2009, 2010 and 2015. The only two African formations to have reached the final of the Club World Cup - 2010 for the Lushois and 2013 for the Rajaoui - paradoxically rarely met in C1.

Congolese can be wary. The Casaouis beat AS Vita Club of Kinshasa twice 1-0, in the group stage. They will also find their former emblematic attacking midfielder, Ben Malango, left with a crash from the DRC to join the Raja, last summer. The last defeat outside the flagship club of the DRC, however, dates back to the semifinals of the 2019 Champions League.

Moroccans will have to watch over Jackson Muleka like milk on fire. The TPM striker is (by far) the top scorer in the competition, with 7 goals.

Al Ahly (Egypt) - Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), February 29 at 4 p.m. UT

This meeting is eagerly awaited by supporters of Al Ahly. There is revenge in the air after the scathing 5-0 victory of the South African club against its Egyptian counterpart, in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Champions League.

However, on paper, it is the most unbalanced quarter-final. On the one hand, there is Al Ahly who holds the record for crowns in C1 (8). On the other, the Sundowns, African champions only in 2016. All the more so since the Egyptians dominate their championship in a surreal way, this season, with 16 victories in as many matches! Mamelodi, for his part, is only second in Premiership behind the Kaizer Chiefs.

But that would be to forget a little quickly that Al Ahly showed signs of weakness, in the African Cup. In the group stage, the "Red Devils" lost on the ground of the Etoile du Sahel and sometimes struggled against smaller opponents, such as Al Hilal (Sudan) or Platinum FC (Zimbabwe). As for the “Brazilians” from Pretoria, they were impressive during this same group phase. For example, they won on the ground of USM Algiers, and held in check the Wydad of Casablanca in Morocco then the Petro Atletico of Luanda in Angola.

Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) - Étoile du Sahel (Tunisia), February 29 at 7 p.m. UT

This is a special poster for the new coach of Wydad Casablanca (WAC), Juan Carlos Garrido. Three weeks after being fired by the Etoile du Sahel, the Spaniard finds his ex-employer in the shoes of the opposing coach! This is necessarily an asset for the WAC since the technician knows the Tunisian strengths and weaknesses.

This last quarter-final is undoubtedly the least prestigious poster of these quarter-finals, the two clubs weighing "only" three Champions League (two for the Casaouis and one for the Soussiens).

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