The eight teams that qualified for the CAF Champions League knockout rounds have been confirmed. Orlando Pirates, Espérance de Tunis, Al Ahly, and Mamelodi Sundowns are the teams to watch.
Espérance de Tunis is usually one of the teams to watch in the CAF Champions League. The Tunisian champions topped Group D featuring Pyramids, Sagrada Esperança and Djoliba.
The success of Espérance was expected but few would have thought Orlando Pirates would finish above Egypt’s Al Ahly. Both are among the teams to watch from here on, while one cannot discount defending South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns either.
Espérance de Tunis: Looking To Go One Better
Espérance were beaten by Al Ahly in last season’s final. The Tunisian champions have plenty of experience at this level, having won twice in a row as recently as 2018 and 2019. Achraf Jabri scored a hat-trick in the recent 4-1 win over Sagrada Esperança to seal the top spot in the group. Espérance’s squad is brimming with talents, including Algerian winger Youcef Belaïli.
Al Ahly: Defending Champions
Ahly did not play up to their usual high standards in the CAF Champions League group stages. However, they are still top of the Egyptian Premier League and the defending African champions. Ahly has a quality squad featuring star midfielder Emam Ashour, who previously played for Midtjylland in Denmark. They tend to peak at the right time in this tournament and have recovered from tough starts in the past to win titles.
Orlando Pirates: Dark Horses
Orlando Pirates (6.08) became the first South African side to win the CAF Champions League in 1995 but have played second fiddle to Mamelodi Sundowns in recent years. However, this season, it appears the Buccaneers might be back. An exciting team featuring generational talent Relebohile Mofokeng and Tshegofatso Mabasa led them to the top spot in Group C, ahead of Al Ahly. Mofokeng and Mabasa scored as Pirates beat the Egyptian giants 2-1 in their last fixture. This is a team for soccer betting enthusiasts to keep an eye on.
Mamelodi Sundowns: Never To Be Discounted
Sundowns won the CAF Champions League in 2016 and the African Football League in 2023. They are always among the teams to watch in the race for silverware. They have repeatedly been among the top teams in this tournament. It is surely only a matter of time before they win it again with the resources and quality they possess.
In addition to Espérance, Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Al Ahly, the other teams that will compete in the knockout rounds are Al-Hilal, MC Alger, AS FAR, and Pyramids.
