RIYADH: The first legs of the African Champions League quarterfinals take place on Friday and Saturday, with six of the eight contenders representing Arab nations. Here are five talking points about the big games.
1. Al-Ahly hoping that history does and does not repeat itself
The defending champions wobbled a little in the group stage before pulling through and now the Egyptian titans have to prepare for a tough test against Raja Casablanca. There is no doubt that the Reds have what it takes to go all the way as they did in 2021 but there will be some concerns in the mind of coach Pitso Mosimane.
A lack of firepower almost cost the team in the group stage and the strikers will have to be less wasteful and the midfield more creative against the Moroccans.
There is something else. A first league defeat of the season last week saw Al-Ahly lose top spot to Cairo rivals Zamalek and bring a reminder of what happened last year. Zamalek were able to pull clear at home while Al-Ahly were busy overseas.
The Champions League campaign helped produce a fixture pile-up which meant that the Red Giants were unable to close the gap and had to settle for second in the domestic league. Still, the prospect of a record third straight African title means that Al-Ahly will be desperate to fight on all fronts and repeat last year’s continental success.
2. Time for a Moroccan win
It is no surprise to see both Raja Casablanca and Wydad AC in the last eight — the Moroccan pair are true heavyweights of African football with five continental championships between them. Yet only one of those wins have come in the 21st century when Wydad won in 2017. There have, however, been three runners-up spots in that time.
Raja, desperate to end their drought which stretches back to 1999, are set for a titanic clash against Al-Ahly. They are full of confidence after sailing through the group stage, unlike their opponents. There is also a chance for a little revenge as the Egyptians won their last meeting, the CAF Super Cup in December, after a penalty shootout.
Wydad also won their group with some ease and are strong favorites to get past CR Belouizdad as the Algerian team have never made it past this stage before in their past three appearances in the tournament. With their experience and firepower — 15 goals were scored in Group D — the Moroccans will expect to have at least one team in the last four.
3. Clubs can put smile back on face of Algerian football
It has been a tough year for fans in Algeria. First came the Africa Cup of Nations when the Desert Foxes arrived as defending champions and favorites to take the title. It was a disaster as a star-studded team finished bottom of a group that did not look too challenging, collecting just one point and one goal in the process. It was a long journey home.
At least there was the World Cup to look forward to, yet the play-off against Cameroon in March also ended in heartbreak. Despite winning the first leg away from home, Algeria conceded a 124th minute goal in Blida and saw their dreams of Qatar go up in smoke.
Now it is the turn of the clubs, though both CAF Champions League representatives face very tough challenges. If ES Setif, champions in 2014, can beat Esperance de Tunis and CR Belouizdad, relative novices in Africa, and overcome two-time champions Wydad AC to reach the semi-final, then it will provide at least some cheer for fans at home.
It will be far from easy, but Algeria know only too well that the favorites do not always progress.
4. Radhi Jaidi and ES Tunis looking for success
A little like the Tunisian national team, Esperance de Tunis are nothing if not solid. The four-time champions conceded just twice in six games in a group stage that they went through undefeated. They are also going well at home and sit on top of the league standings with less than a goal let in every two games.
This is a team that were champions of Africa in 2011, 2018, and 2019 and appeared in five finals in total in the previous decade. They have what it takes to take a third title in five years and coach Radhi Jaidi is looking to build a career on the bench that matches his exploits on the pitch.
The 46-year-old was the first Tunisian to play in the English Premier League when he signed for Bolton Wanderers in 2004 and then went on to feature for Birmingham City and Southampton where the former international started a coaching career that has also taken him to the US and Belgium. If he can lead ES Tunis to African glory, then his future really will be bright.
5. Arab dominance set to continue
North Africa is the dominant region in the Champions League with clubs from Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria all winning in recent years.
The last time a non-Arab team reached the final was in 2016 when Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, led by current Al-Ahly boss Mosimane, defeated Zamalek to take the title. It is necessary to go back to 2009 to find a final with both teams from elsewhere in Africa as Nigeria’s Heartland FC lost on away goals to TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. That is the only time it has happened this century.
And the dominance is set to continue. Only two teams from elsewhere have made it to the last eight this time around. Mamelodi Sundowns will take on Petro de Luanda of Angola. The South Africans will be strong favorites as they finished six points above Al-Ahly in the group stage, though Luanda are not to be underestimated as they took second in their group and ended up seven points above five-time champions Zamalek. The Sundowns have what it takes to go all the way but if they are to do so, they are going to have to beat some serious Arab powerhouses.