For the second consecutive season, record champions Al Ahly and Morocco’s Raja Casablanca will face off in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, as determined by Wednesday evening’s draw.
Last season, the two North African giants faced off at the same stage, with the Egyptians emerging victorious 3-2 on aggregate, after a 2-1 win at home and a 1-1 draw in Casablanca. This season, Raja, who are undefeated in the competition, will seek revenge against Ahly, who advanced to the last eight on the final day of the group stages. The first leg will take place in Cairo.
Defending champions Wydad Casablanca will face Tanzanian side Simba SC, with the first leg to be held in Dar es Salaam. Simba will be familiar with the surroundings in Casablanca, having faced Wydad’s arch-rival Raja in the group stages, losing 3-1. The last meeting between these two teams was in a special play-off match in the 2011 season, with Wydad winning 3-0.
Mamelodi Sundowns, the 2016 champions, will continue their quest for a second title by playing the first leg of their quarter-final in Algeria against CR Belouizdad.
JS Kabylie, another Algerian team, will host Esperance of Tunisia in the first leg of the fourth quarter-final, yet another exciting North African encounter. The quarter-finals are scheduled for the weekend of April 21-22, with the return fixtures taking place a week later.
The semis will be held on May 12-13, with the second leg taking place a week later.
Full TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Draw
QF1. Simba SC vs Wydad Athletic
QF2. Al Ahly vs Raja Club Athletic
QF3. CR Belouizdad vs Mamelodi Sundowns
QF4. JS Kabylie vs Esperance du Tunis
Semi finals
QF4 vs QF2
QF1 vs QF3
