The fourth round of matches from the CAF Champions League kicks off on Friday (19:00 GMT) in Algiers with a North African derby in Group C between Algeria's CR Belouizdad and reigning African club champions Al Ahly of Egypt. Neither club is in ideal form ahead of the clash but there will be plenty of passion and much at stake in the Group C picture.
Group C Table
Games Played | Points | |
| 3 | 7 |
| 3 | 5 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 1 |
CR Belouizdad
After a poor start in league play that saw the dismissal of coach Corentin Martins, veteran tactician Abdelkader Amrani has steadied the ship in league play but CRB's continental form continues to be poor. Le Grand Chabab suffered a devastating 6-1 defeat to Ahly in Cairo a couple of weeks ago and are currently in third place, making Friday's match a crucial one for their high ambitions. With Orlando Pirates hosting last placed Stade d'Abidjan in a match the Bucs are likely to win, a defeat or draw against Ahly will leave CRB's back firmly against the wall.
Amrani has a mostly healthy squad to work with. An experienced defense will feature seasoned campaigners such as Houcine Benayada at right back with Chouaib Keddad and Mouad Hadded in the center. Abdelraouf Benguit is the steady presence in the center of midfield and South African forward Khanyisa Mayo should feature in a playmaking role behind the three-man forward line after showing good form.
With a reported ongoing feud between coach Amrani and legendary Algerian striker Islam Slimani, Algerian media reports that Aymen Mahious will lead the attack with Abderrahmane Meziane and Mohamed Belkhir as the supporting wingers.
Al Ahly
Following a devastating penalty kick shootout defeat to Mexico's Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup semifinal in mid-December, Al Ahly are achieving decent results but the attack continues to be too inconsistent for supporters. After their lopsided victory over CRB, Ahly defeated a difficult Al Masry team but failed to score in a 0-0 draw at ENPPI on Monday. Head coach Marcel Koller acknowledged that the hosts will be extra motivated after their last meeting but stated his club will be ready to earn a positive result.
The situation at right back is not ideal with both Mohamed Hany and Omar Kamal out due to injury but Akram Tawfik is a versatile and reliable option. Center back Achraf Dari, a veteran of Morocco's run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, will compete with Egyptian options Yasser Ibrahim and Rami Rabia to form the central partnership. Experienced goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy is expected to return to the lineup after backup Mostafa Shobeir played against ENPPI.
High priced striker Wissam Abou Ali was spectacular in the first meeting against CRB and the Palestine national team goal scorer is likely to start on Friday. With Taher Mohamed still injured, Hussein El Shahat is the most appealing forward option on the wing with Percy Tau and Mohamed Magdy "Afsha" also candidates to contribute. Emam Ashour is likely to play some sort of role whether it is on the wing or alongside reliable player Marwan Attia in the heart of the midfield.
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