Following three matches on Friday that were starved of goals, there was no shortage of action on Saturday at the 2023-24 CAF Champions League as a few teams confirmed passage to the quarterfinals. DR Congo’s TP Mazembe, Tanzanian champions Young Africans and South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns are all through following decisive victories while last season’s runners-up Wydad AC of Morocco kept their hopes alive.
In Group A, TP Mazembe utilized their notorious home advantage well in Lubumbashi to take down Egyptian club Pyramids FC by a 3-0 score. Joel Beya and Glody Likonza put the Ravens ahead by two goals when halftime arrived and the hosts added one more late on. Mazembe are tied on ten points alongside Mamelodi Sundowns who won 2-0 in Mauritania against FC Nouadhibou. Sundowns were well in control and will host Mazembe on the final day to determine the group winner while Pyramids and Nouadhibou are eliminated.
The situation in Group D is also mostly resolved after Tanzanian champions Young Africans thrashed Algeria’s CR Belouizdad 4-0 in Dar es Salaam. Mudathir Yahya opened the scoring for Yanga just before halftime and it only got worse for the visitors after the break with goals from Stephane Aziz Ki and Kennedy Musonda increasing the lead to three goals before fifty minutes elapsed. Yanga confirm they and Al Ahly of Egypt will advance out of the group with the two teams set to duel in Cairo on the final day for top spot, where Ahly are currently ahead by a point.
It looks likely that both Tanzanian giants will qualify for the quarterfinals but Morocco’s Wydad AC are doing all they can to revive their hopes. Wydad defeated Jwaneng Galaxy 1-0 in Botswana to move level on points with Simba SC on six points in Group B. Simba hold the head-to-head advantage over Wydad, however, and can secure second place in the group with a victory at home over Galaxy on the final day.
Finally, in Group B, Espérance ST defeated rivals Étoile du Sahel in the latest edition of the Tunisian Classico to conclude the action late Saturday. First half goals from Yan Sasse and Zakaria El Ayeb secured second place for EST who are one point behind group leaders Petro de Luanda. EST host Sudan’s Al-Hilal Omdurman on the final day where the Blood and Gold only need to avoid defeat to join Petro in the quarterfinals.
All the scores from Friday and Saturday in the Champions League are below followed by highlights from the matches on Saturday.
Results
Group A
TP Mazembe (COD) 3-0 Pyramids FC (EGY)
FC Nouadhibou (MRT) 0-2 Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA)
Group B
ASEC Mimosas (CIV) 0-0 Simba SC (TZA)
Jwaneng Galaxy (BWA) 0-1 Wydad AC (MAR)
Group C
Al-Hilal Omdurman (SDN) 0-0 Petro de Luanda (ANG)
Étoile du Sahel (TUN) 0-2 Espérance ST (TUN)
Group D
Medeama SC (GHA) 0-1 Al Ahly (EGY)
Young Africans (TZA) 4-0 CR Belouizdad (DZA)
TP Mazembe 3-0 Pyramids FC
FC Nouadhibou 0-2 Mamelodi Sundowns
Young Africans 4-0 CR Belouizdad
Young Africans 4-0 CR Belouizdad
Étoile du Sahel 0-2 Espérance ST
