CAF Champions League

Petro, Wydad first to progress to quarters; Zamalek biggest casualty


CAF Champions League. Photo | CAF Online
CAF Champions League. Photo | CAF Online

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Group D is the first to conclude its qualification business in the 2021-22 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League with Angola’s Petro de Luanda and Wydad Club Athletic being the first to progress to the quarter finals.

The group has been wrapped up with two matches to go.

Petro retained top spot in the group after their 3-0 victory over Angolan rivals G.D. Sagrada Esperança. The victory took them to 10 points having won three consecutive matches and drawn one.

Meanwhile, two-time champions Wydad also earned their place in the last eight after completing a home and away sweep over Egyptian giants Zamalek SC, beating them 1-0 in Cairo.

The White Knights became the biggest casualties as the results from round four of matches saw them lose out on contention into the quarters. They remain third in the table with two points and will be playing their last two games for pride.

Also suffering the same feat is Esperança who are bottom of the pile with just a point.

Other teams who are not in contention for a place in the quarter finals include Botswana debutants Jwaneng Galaxy whose 4-1 loss to CR Belouizdad saw them remain bottom with a single point.

Belouizdad rose to second in Group C with eight points, same as leaders Esperance. The top three in the group, which also includes third placed Etoile du Sahel with three points still have a chance of qualification.

Meanwhile in Group A, Mamelodi Sundowns completed another home and away swoop, this time beating defending champions Al Ahly 1-0 in Johannesburg to move to within a point of the quarter finals.

The Brazilians are on 10 points. Meanwhile, all other three teams in the group still have a chance of qualification. Al Hilal revived their hopes after beating Sudanese rivals Al Merrikh 1-0 in the Omdurman derby.

Ahly, Hilal and Merrikh are all on four points, battling for one of the two available qualification slots.

In Group B meanwhile, Raja Club Atletic lost for the first time in the competition this season after suffering a 2-1 defeat away to Guinea’s Horoya. The Guinean side needed a win at all costs to revive their hopes.

The victory at home took Horoya to three points, but keep their hopes alive despite sitting bottom of the pile. Raja remained top with nine points while ES Setif who beat AmaZulu 2-0 in Algiers rose to second.

Both Setif and AmaZulu are on six points.

In numbers

18 - The number of goals scored in round four

6 - The number of cleansheets kept in eight of the matches played

2 - The number of teams who have progressed to the quarter finals and those who have already known their fate of failing to progress

2 - The number of red cards issued during match day four

Weekend results

Group A

Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 Al Ahly

Al Hilal 1-0 Al Merrikh

Group B

Horoya AC 2-1 Raja Club Athletic

ES Setif 2-0 AmaZulu

Group C

CR Belouizdad 4-1 Jwaneng Galaxy

Etoile du Sahel 0-2 Esperance

Group D

Petro de Luanda 3-0 Sagrada Esperanca

Zamalek 0-1 Wydad Club Athletic.