By Victor Kanayo
Clubs will, this weekend, fight to grab quarter-final spots in both the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup.
The battle intensifies as Africa’s premier club competitions enter the final round of group matches.
CAF Perspectives
According to CAF, this season’s Champions League edition has been nothing short of exceptional, with upsets, thrills, and goals that have characterised the continent’s biggest club competition over the years.
Following another exciting round of clashes last week, five clubs joined Al-Hilal SC (Sudan) in securing passage to the quarter-finals with a game to spare, leaving two slots to be decided this weekend.
Al-Hilal were the first side to secure their place after Match Day 4, before being joined by defending champions Al Ahly (Egypt), AS FAR (Morocco), Orlando Pirates (South Africa), Esperance (Tunisia), and Pyramids FC (Egypt).
The remaining two slots will be decided from Groups A and B, with Ahly and Pirates already qualified from Group C, and Esperance and Pyramids through in Group D.
With a mere point separating MC Alger (8) and Young Africans (7), the Group A encounter in Dar es Salaam promises to produce fireworks, with Yanga determined to avenge their 2-0 loss suffered in Algiers in December.
More Group Deciders
In Group B, Raja Casablanca, who are away to the already ousted Maniema Union, will also be relying on their Moroccan counterparts, AS FAR, to get a result that favours them when they travel to Pretoria to face 2016 champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
AS FAR aim to finish top of the group, while Sundowns, who are just a point behind them, only need a draw to advance.
With qualification to the next round already secured for five clubs, pride remains at stake in the closing round of fixtures, with Pirates travelling to Cairo to face the defending champions, Al Ahly, who held them to a goalless stalemate in Soweto two weeks ago.
Al Hilal aim to erase last weekend’s home defeat to Young Africans with an away win over TP Mazembe, who bowed out of contention in the penultimate round.
Second Tier: Confederation Cup
Two places remain to complete the eight teams that will compete in the quarter-finals after defending champions Zamalek SC (Egypt), CS Constantine, USM Alger (Algeria), RS Berkane (Morocco), Simba SC (Tanzania), and Stellenbosch FC (South Africa) all secured their respective places with a game to spare.
The knockout stages already promise to live up to the competition’s high expectations, with reigning champions Zamalek joined by two former winners, RS Berkane and USM Alger, who together boast five titles among them.
Senegalese side AS Jaraaf will approach Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash in Group C with caution, needing just a point to join former champions USM Alger in the knockout stage.
ASEC Mimosas welcome Botswana’s Orapa United to Abidjan, targeting nothing less than a victory. If AS Jaraaf lose and ASEC Mimosas win, the latter will move into second place on the head-to-head rule.
It will be a tough mountain to climb for the Ivorians as they attempt to overcome a side that frustrated them to a goalless tie in Gaborone last month.
Make or Mar for Remaining Nigerian Side
Group D will line up some interesting encounters on Sunday as Zamalek, who have their top spot in the group sealed, welcome former African champions Enyimba.
The Nigerian outfit are a point behind second-placed Egypt’s Al Masry. The latter have their qualification in their hands with a victory, irrespective of the other fixture’s outcome.
