The highly anticipated event took place at the beIN Sports headquarters in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday evening, setting the stage for thrilling encounters in Africa’s premier club competition.
South African teams Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Stellenbosch FC eagerly awaited their opponents, hoping to avoid local rivalries at this critical tournament stage.
Quarterfinal matchups
Al Ahly SC (Egypt) vs Al Hilal SC (Sudan)
Defending champions Al Ahly SC of Egypt will face Sudan’s Al Hilal SC in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter.
Al Ahly, 12-time competition winners, finished as runners-up in their group but remain a formidable force. They aim to become the first club to claim the title three seasons in a row.
Al Hilal, coached by Florent Ibengé of DR Congo, topped their group despite playing home matches in Mauritania due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Their solid defensive record will be crucial as they take on the reigning champions.
Pyramids FC (Egypt) vs AS FAR (Morocco)
Pyramids FC, the Egyptian side known for their attacking prowess, will square off against Moroccan giants AS FAR.
Under Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurčić, Pyramids scored 14 goals in the group stage, the joint-highest tally in the competition.
AS FAR, led by Portuguese coach Alexandre Santos, went unbeaten during their group campaign and will look to continue their impressive form.
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)
Sundowns, winners in 2016, are aiming to break their semifinal barrier, having failed to progress beyond that stage since their title win.
Esperance, four-time champions, topped their group and recently claimed the Tunisian Super Cup under Romanian coach Laurențiu Reghecampf.
MC Alger (Algeria) vs Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
The final quarterfinal match will see MC Alger of Algeria, who conceded just two goals during the group stage, take on South Africa’s Orlando Pirates.
Pirates, the 1995 champions, topped their group with 14 points and are looking to reach the semifinals for the first time since finishing as runners-up in 2013. MC Alger, under Tunisian coach Khaled Ben Yahia, boasts the competition’s meanest defence.
Semifinal draw
Following the quarterfinal draw, the semifinal pairings were also determined:
The winner of the clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and Esperance will face either Al Ahly or Al Hilal.
The victor between MC Alger and Orlando Pirates will meet the winner of the Pyramids versus AS FAR tie.
Match schedule
All quarterfinal matches will be played over two legs, with the first leg scheduled for 1 April and the return leg a week later on 8 April. The semifinals will follow a similar format, with the winners advancing to the prestigious final in June.
2024/25 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Quarterfinals:
Al Ahly SC (EGY) vs Al Hilal SC (SDN)
Pyramids FC (EGY) vs AS FAR (MAR)
Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN)
MC Alger (ALG) vs. Orlando Pirates (RSA)
Semifinal draw outcome:
SF 1: Mamelodi Sundowns/Esperance Sportive de Tunis vs Al Ahly SC/Al Hilal SC
SF 2:MC Alger/Orlando Pirates vs. Pyramids FC/AS FAR