Simba to face Wydad Casablanca in CAF CL quarter finals
What you need to know:
- In the CAF Confederations Cup, Young Africans drew Nigeria’s Rivers United, a team that kicked them out of the Champions’ League last term.
Tanzania’s representatives in the CAF Champions League Simba SC on Wednesday night drew defending champions Wydad Casablanca with the first leg set to be played at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Simba SC will be familiar within the surroundings in Casablanca, as they face off with Wydad’s arch-nemesis Raja in the group stages, losing 3-1.
The last meeting between these two sides was in the 2011 season in a special play-off match, Wydad winning 3-0.
In the CAF Confederations Cup, Young Africans drew Nigeria’s Rivers United, a team that kicked them out of the Champions’ League last term.
The first leg will be played in Port Harcourt in Nigeria before the return leg in Dar es Salaam’s Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on the last week of April, with the first leg matches set for April 23 and the return fixtures a week later.
Meanwhile record champions Al Ahly and Morocco’s Raja Casablanca will face off in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League for a second consecutive season, after the two North African giants were paired in Wednesday evening’s draw.
The two sides also faced off at the same stage last season with the Egyptians winning 3-2 on aggregate after a 2-1 victory at home and a 1-1 draw in Casablanca.
Raja, who are unbeaten in the competition this season, will be out to exact revenge on Ahly, who squeezed through to the last eight on the last day of the group stages.
Ahly will host the first leg in Cairo.
In other fixtures, 2016 champions Mamelodi Sundowns will continue their campaign for a second title with the first leg of their quarter final in Algeria against CR Belouizdad.
Another Algerian side, JS Kabylie, will host Esperance of Tunisia in the first leg of the fourth quarter final duel, another enticing North African duel.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for the weekend of April 21-22 and the return fixtures a week later.
The semis will be played on May 12-13 with the second leg a week later.
Full TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Draw
QF1. Simba SC vs Wydad Athletic
QF2. Al Ahly vs Raja Club Atjletic
QF3. CR Belouizdad vs Mamelodi Sundowns
QF4. JS Kabylie vs Esperance du Tunis
Semi finals
QF4 vs QF2
QF1 vs QF3