Some of Africa’s heavyweight clubs will be chasing berths in the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, as the competitions’ group phases have Matchday 5 fixtures this weekend. For the best action from African club competition football DStv and GOtv got you covered.
Sunday features eight Matchday 5 clashes in the Confederation Cup and derbies are very much a running theme. An all-Moroccan battle between Raja Casablanca and Hassania Agadir could be key in deciding who joins likely Group A winners RS Berkane (who should seal a quarterfinal berth by beating AS Otoho at home).
In Group B, Etoile du Sahel and CS Sfaxien will have a Tunisian derby in which top spot is up for grabs, while West African sides Salitas (Burkina Faso) and Enugu Rangers (Nigeria) will have a regional clash in Ouagadougou.
Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko will fancy their chances of leapfrogging to the top of the standings with a home win over current leaders Al Hilal. The Porcupine Warrior had an impressive home 3:0 win last Sunday against Nkana FC. With another home game in the offing Kotoko is charged to keep a clean slate at home once again. The Zambian derby between Nkana and Zesco United in Kitwe is the second game to keep a close eye on in this still open group.
Finally, Group D sees Zamalek with the chance to avenge their shock defeat in Kenya on Matchday 1 when they host Gor Mahia in Alexandria, while Angola’s Petro Atletico will be looking to revive their quarterfinal hopes with a win at home to league leaders NA Hussein Dey of Algeria.
The Champions League takes centre stage on Friday and Saturday, with the opening games seeing CS Constantine needing only to avoid defeat at home to Club African to secure progression from Group C, while TP Mazembe can also end the hopes of Ismaily (who have been ejected and re-instated in the premier competition) by avoiding defeat in an early evening game in Alexandria.
Friday’s night games come from Group B, with a Southern African derby between Orlando Pirates and already-eliminated FC Platinum of Zimbabwe in Soweto, while title holders Esperance de Tunis could potentially seal a quarterfinal place with a win at home to Horoya in Rades.
Saturday is a key time in Group A, with co-leaders Wydad Casablanca and Mamelodi Sundowns facing testing matches away to ASEC Mimosas in Abidjan and at home to Nigeria’s Lobi Stars. South Africa’s Sundowns will be itching for revenge against Stars after suffering a 2-1 defeat in Enugu back in January.
Group D sees just three points covering the four teams, with bottom-of-the-log AS Vita hoping to bring themselves right back into the mix by defeating leaders Al Ahly in Kinshasa, while JS Saoura host Tanzania’s Simba SC in Bechar and will be looking to avenge a Matchday 1 3-0 loss in Dar es Salaam.
CAF Champions League fixtures, 8-9 March
All times GMT
Friday 8 March
4pm CS Constantine v Club Africain
4pm Ismaily v TP Mazembe
7pm Esperance de Tunis v Horoya AC
7pm Orlando Pirates v FC Platinum – LIVE on SS4 & SelGo2
Saturday 9 March
4pm ASEC Mimosas v Wydad Casablanca
4pm AS Vita v Al Ahly
7pm Mamelodi Sundowns v Lobi Stars – LIVE on SS9 & SelGo1
7pm JS Saoura v Simba SC – LIVE on SS10 & SelGo2
CAF Confederation Cup fixtures, 10 March
All times GMT
Sunday 10 March
1pm Nkana v Zesco United – LIVE on SS9 & SelGo1
1pm Asante Kotoko v Al Hilal – LIVE on SS4 & SelGo3
1pm Petro Atletico v NA Hussein Dey – LIVE on Max360
4pm Raja Casablanca v Hassania Agadir
4pm CS Sfaxien v Etoile du Sahel
4pm Salitas v Enugu Rangers – LIVE on SS9 & SelGo1
7pm RS Berkane v AS Otoho
7pm Zamalek v Gor Mahia – LIVE on SS9 & SelGo1
