All To Play For As CAF Champions League Quarterfinal Spots Go Down To The Wire

The calculators are out, the nerves are jangling and across the continent, fans are holding their breath.

As the CAF Champions League group stage reaches its final round this weekend, only three teams have already secured their place in the quarterfinals. The rest are fighting for survival. For South African supporters, all eyes will be fixed on Loftus Versfeld as Mamelodi Sundowns face a must-win scenario.

Here is how the drama is shaping up across the groups.

Defending Champions Pyramids Eye Perfect Finish

In Group A, holders Pyramids have already done the hard work. They sit comfortably at the top after a dominant 4-1 victory over Rivers United pushed their goal tally to 11, the highest in the group phase so far.

They welcome Power Dynamos to the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Saturday night, looking to protect their unbeaten record and build momentum for the knockouts.

Behind them, the pressure is squarely on RS Berkane. Back-to-back defeats have left the Moroccan side in danger, and only a win against already-eliminated Rivers United at the Berkane Municipal Stadium will guarantee their place in the last eight. It is a straightforward equation but anything but a comfortable one.

Sundowns Face Make Or Break Afternoon In Pretoria

Group C is where South African hearts will race the fastest.

Mamelodi Sundowns have left themselves no margin for error. Three draws and just one win from five matches have turned what once looked like a manageable group into a nail-biting finale.

They host MC Alger at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon knowing that nothing less than three points will do. Their continental campaign has lacked the fluency that usually defines Bafana Ba Style, and four matches without a win have only intensified scrutiny.

Elsewhere in the group, Al Hilal are aiming to secure top spot when they face Saint-Eloi Lupopo in Kigali. A point may be enough for MC Alger to claim the runners-up position, depending on results, which makes Sundowns’ task even more urgent.

For a club that has built its modern identity on continental ambition, failure to reach the quarterfinals would be a bitter blow.

Stade Malien The Surprise Package

Group D has delivered one of the tournament’s most refreshing stories.

Stade Malien have emerged as the surprise package, winning three of their first five matches and stretching five points clear at the top. Their latest result, a 1-0 victory over ES Tunis, underlined their credentials.

They travel to Dar es Salaam to face Simba, hoping to extend their unbeaten run and seal top spot. For Simba, pride and progression are on the line after a campaign that has yielded only two points so far.

Meanwhile, ES Tunis and Petro de Luanda meet in Tunis in what is effectively a playoff for second place. The sides are separated only by goal difference, and their earlier meeting ended 1-1. It does not get tighter than that.

Cairo Showdown For Group Supremacy

In Group B, two heavyweights collide for top billing.

Al Ahly remain unbeaten and sit one point ahead of AS FAR ahead of their meeting at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday evening.

A goalless draw against JS Kabylie last time out kept the Egyptian giants in control, but AS FAR’s 1-0 win over Young Africans has ensured the battle for first place will go to the final whistle of matchday six.

Young Africans still have a mathematical chance of sneaking into the quarterfinals, but they must beat JS Kabylie in Zanzibar and hope other results fall their way.

Final Matchday Fixtures

Saturday, 14 February
15h00: Al Hilal v Saint-Eloi Lupopo
15h00: Mamelodi Sundowns v MC Alger
18h00: ES Tunis v Petro de Luanda
18h00: Simba v Stade Malien
21h00: RS Berkane v Rivers United
21h00: Pyramids v Power Dynamos

Sunday, 15 February
18h00: Al Ahly v AS FAR
18h00: Young Africans v JS Kabylie

As the group stage curtain falls, only a handful of clubs can breathe easily. For the rest, this weekend is about composure under pressure.

And in Pretoria especially, it is about keeping a continental dream alive.