The CAF elite InterClub competition, Total Energies CAF Champions League resumes this Tuesday, April 1, 2025 with the Quarter-final ties.
South African giants, Mamelodi Sundowns play host to four-time winners and last year’s finalists, Esperance Sportive de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
A lot is at stake as the two FIFA Club World Cup representatives from Africa collide in the highly anticipated first leg of the knock-out competition in Pretoria.
Speaking ahead of the confrontation, Sundowns tactician Miguel Cardoso was delighted to take on his former paymasters, a side he led to finals in the 2024 installment.
“Well, facing Esperance after one season that is obviously emotionally an important moment but we should understand that it’s a page which was closed when we came out from there.” Cardoso said
“We have big respect for those people, the management, the players who worked with us and also mostly to our fans but I have a big, big respect for Sundowns fans, the management that believed in me and I’m truly focused on making players as strong possible so that we can obviously go through the competition at that stage.” he added
This is a repreat of last year’s semi-final bout where the Tunisians edged Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 on aggregate, with the current Sundowns trainer behind Esperance success during that time.
In the other match-ups, record winners Al Ahly lock horns with surprise package Al Hilal FC in Cairo, Orlando Pirates up against MC Alger and Pyramids-AS FAR clash wrapping up the last-eight puzzle.
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals (Tuesday, 1 April):
13h00 GMT: Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN)
19h00 GMT: Pyramids FC (EGY) vs AS FAR (MAR)
19h00 GMT: Al Ahly FC (EGY) vs Al Hilal FC (SDN)
19h00 GMT: MC Alger (ALG) vs Orlando Pirates (RSA)
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