Seven out of the eight CAF Champions League quarter-finalists have been confirmed after an exciting round of matches on Saturday.
It could’ve eight, but Ronwen Williams’ late penalty save against Al Hilal’s Athar Eltahir saw Mamelodi Sundowns collect a draw in Sudan, which meant that record-champions Al Ahly still stand a chance of qualifying in Group B.
The Egyptian giants have their faith in their own hands and now need to beat Al Hilal on home soil when the two side will meet in Cairo on 31 December.
A win for Al Hilal over Sundowns, who had already qualified for the last-8 last week, would’ve secured qualification for the knockout stages for the Sudanese side, but they now need at least a draw in Cairo to book their ticket.
Meanwhile, in Group A, defending champions Wydad Athletic Club also secured their spot in the quarter-finals after collecting a goalless at Vita Club in Brazzaville.
With Kabylie beating Petro de Luanda 1-0 in the later kickoff on Saturday, both Wydad and Kabylie now sit on 10 points and six ahead of Vita and Petro, meaning they booked their spots in the last-8 and will only play for first place when they meet on match day six.
In Group C, Raja Athletic Club had already booked their last-8 tickets after winning the first four matches, and could afford to drop points Vipers.
Meanwhile, Simba collected one of the biggest wins in the competition history after running riot against Horoya, beating them 7-0.
As a consequence, Raja booked their ticket as group winners, sitting on 13 points, while Simba secured second spot with nine points – five more than Horoya.
Group D was already decided on Friday, when Esperance secured their spot in the knockout stages with a 1-1 draw at Al Merreikh, while Belouizdad beat Zamalek 2-0 to book their last-8 ticket.
