* To meet defending champions Al Ahly SC of Egypt on Saturday in their first leg semifinal (13h00 GMT)
* As Tuninia’s Esperance Sportive Tunis date South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns (19h00 GMT)
Maravi Express
The 2023/24 CAF Champions League campaign reaches a crescendo this weekend when four African heavyweights — Al Ahly (Egypt), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Espérance Sportive Tunis (Tunisia) and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) — meet in the first leg of the semi-finals on Saturday, April 20.
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The return leg of the race for Africa’s most prized club football crown is scheduled on the weekend of April 25-26 as Al Ahly aim for the CAF Champions League title they have wow 11 times.
It has been 10 years since TP Mazembe – former FIFA Club World Cup finalists – reached the final of the CAF Champions League and they have to take full advantage of the home turf in Lubumbashi against defending champions, who are in top form having reached the semifinals by beating quarterfinals Simba SC of Tanzania 3-0 on aggregate (1-0 away in Dar es Salaam and 2-0 at home in Cairo).
To qualify for the semifinals, TP Mazembe first drew 0-0 with Angola’s Petro de Luanda in the first leg of the quarterfinals before winning 2-1 away in Luanda while Tunisian side Esperance defeated Côte d’Ivoire’s ASEC Minosas 4-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout — both having drawn 0-0 in the first leg and 0-0 in regulation of the second leg.
Mamelodi also drew 0-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals against Young Africans in Dar es Salaam and once more 0-0 in regulation in South Africa before the heroics of their goalkeeper Ronwen Williams helped them qualify.
Williams — who emerged Goalkeeper of the Tournament during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Côte d’Ivoire 2023 — once more emerged as the hero when he save two crucial spot-kicks to propel Mamelodi Sundowns to the semifinals at 3-2 victory.
Ronwen Williams
Amongst the four clubs, a total of 21 CAF Champions League titles have been won, with defending champions Ahly dominating with their 11 titles, followed by TP Mazembe with five, Espérance Sportive Tunis with four and Mamelodi Sundowns with a single title.
For Espérance Sportive Tunis, they continue their search for a 5th title after last tasting continental glory in 2019 as they welcome Mamelodi Sundowns, whose 2016 title is coupled with a recent confidence-boosting African Football League (AFL) 2023 triumph that has elevated their pedigree on the continent.
Very small margins separate the four clubs who all have championship mettle and an equal chance of going all the way this season.
All four clubs will be gunning for a place in the CAF Champions League Final, which has been confirmed to take place on Saturday, May 18 for the first leg, with the second leg confirmed for Saturday, May 25.—Info from CAFonline
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