Al Ahli v Al Hilal - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - October 5, 2024 Al Ahli fans inside the stadium REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Tough Draw for Defending Champions Al Ahly in 2024-25 African Champions League Group Stage

by · The Zimbabwe Mail

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Defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt face a challenging task in the group stage of the 2024-25 African Champions League after being drawn into a tough Group C. They will go head-to-head with South Africa’s Orlando Pirates, Algeria’s CR Belouizdad, and Stade d’Abidjan from Ivory Coast.

The group promises to be a tightly contested affair, with Al Ahly—record 12-time winners—not always performing at their best during the pool stages in recent years, despite clinching the title in four of the last five seasons. The Egyptian giants will need to find top form if they hope to progress comfortably to the quarter-finals.

In the tournament’s structure, the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals. Group B also shapes up to be a fiercely competitive pool, featuring South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns alongside two formidable Moroccan sides, Raja Casablanca and AS FAR, as well as Maniema Union from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Group A is headlined by five-time African champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo, who will compete against Tanzania’s Young Africans, Al Hilal of Sudan, and MC Alger from Algeria.

Meanwhile, last year’s runners-up, Esperance of Tunisia, will be aiming to progress from Group D, where they face Egypt’s Pyramids FC, Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca, and Mali’s Djoliba AC.

The group stage action is set to kick off over the weekend of November 26-27, with the final round of matches scheduled for January 17-18, 2025.

2024-25 African Champions League Group Stage Draw:

Group A

  • TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
  • Young Africans (Tanzania)
  • Al Hilal (Sudan)
  • MC Alger (Algeria)

Group B

  • Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
  • Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
  • AS FAR (Morocco)
  • Maniema Union (DR Congo)

Group C

  • Al Ahly (Egypt)
  • CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
  • Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
  • Stade d’Abidjan (Ivory Coast)

Group D

  • Esperance (Tunisia)
  • Pyramids FC (Egypt)
  • Sagrada Esperanca (Angola)
  • Djoliba (Mali)

Source: Reuters