- Title holders Ahly joined by seven strong contenders
- Five former title holders in last eight
- Exciting knock-out stage matches expected
The CAF Champions League has reached the business end of things with the last eight teams now confirmed following action over the weekend.
Zambia does not have any representative in the Competition at this stage but fans can still follow Clatous Chota Chama with Simba and Kennedy Musonda with Young Africans.
However this year’s CAF Champions League quarter finals look to be a bit different with North Africa only producing two teams.
In the last six seasons prior to this campaign, North Africa has produced at least half or more of the team’s in the quarter finals.
This time around, Zambia’s neighbours have contributed five teams, Tanzania with two, (Simba SC and Yanga SC), Angola with (Petro de Luanda), DR Congo with TP Mazembe and South Africa contributing Masandawana, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Meanwhile Petro Luanda also became the first Club to not Concede a Goal in the CAF Champions League Group Stage, scoring five goals without conceding a single goal.
Of the eight teams that have officially booked their places, three are yet to taste continental success, with Al Ahly (11), TP Mazembe (5), Esperance (4), Asec Mimosas (1) and Mamelodi Sundowns (1), all having previously lifted Africa’s most coveted club football trophy.
Angola’s Petro de Luanda and Tunisia’s Esperance qualified for the quarter-finals from Group C following their victories on Saturday.
Petro de Luanda finished top of the group with 12 points after their 2-0 win over Etoile du Sahel while Esperance’s 1-0 victory over Al Hilal helped them to secure second place with 11 points.
Defending champions and Egyptian giants Al Ahly remain on course for their title defence after a 1-0 home victory over Young Africans on Friday to finish top of Group D with 12 points.
Maybe this is a turning point or a shift in terms of club football on the continent.
Zambian clubs should also be motivated now to try and do better next season.
Financially this is a big deal for these clubs as each will pocket at least $900, 000.
The losing semi-finalists will pocket $1.2 million, the runners are set to get $2 million with the winners set to get $4 million.
Below is the list of quarter-final teams
- Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
- ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)
- Simba (Tanzania)
- Petro de Luanda (Angola)
- Esperance (Tunisia)
- Al Ahly (Egypt)
- Young Africans (Tanzania)
CAF will announce the date for the draw of the quarter-finals in the coming days.