Al Ahly, Sundowns, Esperance target home victories

Top sides Al Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns and Esperance de Tunis will be targeting home victories in matchday one of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League group stage.

Record 12-time winners Al Ahly of Egypt will be involved in a North African Derby as they lock horns with Algerian side JS Kabylie in a Group B clash at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo on Saturday.

At the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South African champions Sundowns will be targeting nothing but a victory when they lock horns with group stage returnees, FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo of DR Congo, in a Group C featuring two teams from the SADC region.

3 points at stake. Will it be 🇿🇦 Mamelodi Sundowns or 🇨🇩 FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo?#TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/0WrmxTpkef — TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) November 13, 2025

Tunisian football heavyweights Esperance will be determined to start their Group D campaign with a convincing victory when they face off with Malian champions Stade Malien at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Tunis.

The action is scheduled to start on Friday, with Sudanese giants Al Hilal Omdurman welcoming their North African rivals MC Alger of Algeria, at their temporary home ground, Amahoro Stadium, Kigali, Rwanda, in a Group C clash.

Six matches will be played on Saturday, with current Champions League holders, Pyramids of Egypt, set to continue their defence of the coveted title when they play host to Nigerian side Rivers United at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo in another Group A encounter.

Pyramids FC vs Rivers United. Who wants those 3 points more? 🧐#TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/ijpMGH9ZUL — TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) November 11, 2025

Tanzanian champions Young Africans will face Morocco's AS FAR Rabat at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar City, Zanzibar, in a Group B match and Moroccan champions RS Berkane are poised to take on Zambia's Power Dynamos at the Berkane Municipal Stadium in Berkane in a Group A showdown.

The last Champions League game of the weekend will feature Tanzanian giants Simba SC and Angolan champions Petro Atlético in a Group D match at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Full fixtures

Friday, November 21

3pm - Al-Hilal Omdurman v MC Alger

Saturday, November 22

3pm - Mamelodi Sundowns v St Éloi Lupopo

3pm - Young Africans v AS FAR Rabat

6pm - Al Ahly v JS Kabylie

6pm - Espérance Tunis v Stade Malien

9pm - RS Berkane v Power Dynamos

9pm - Pyramids FC v Rivers United

Sunday, November 23

3pm - Simba SC v Petro Atlético