CAF Champions League Quarter Final Draw: Mamelodi Sundowns Pitted Against Threatening Upstarts

• CAF held the draw for their Champions League quarter-finals in Cairo on March 12
• The ties will be played on the last weekend of March and the first weekend of April
• Mamelodi Sundowns have avoided Al Ahly but were paired with an emerging threat

The pathway to the summit of African football is visible for the remaining eight teams.

The CAF Champions League quarter-finalists were handed their next opponents, with all four ties posing evenly spread challenges.

The pairings for the semi-finals were also announced, throwing up the possibility of a heavyweight final featuring Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly.

Sports Brief outlines the draw as well as the road to the final, which begins with the first legs on the last weekend of March.

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CAF Champions League quarter-finals

Simba S.C vs Al Ahly

Quarter-final one sets Tanzania's Simba SC against defending champions, Al Ahly. Simba finished second in their group with one defeat at home, while the Egyptians went through their group unbeaten.

Simba will need to make their first-leg home advantage count and will hope fixture congestion weighs down Al Ahly. Due to their other competition commitments, Al Ahly have six domestic catch-up games to play.

TP Mazembe vs Petro de Luanda

The Congolese welcome the unbeaten Angolans for the first-leg and like Simba, will need to make the best of the first meeting.

Petro de Luanda are also unbeaten domestically and have not conceded at all in 2024. The last time they conceded at home was on December 23 in a 4-1 win over Interclube.

ASEC Mimosa vs Esperance

Possibly the tie of the round in terms of evenly matched teams with pedigree that are looking to regain their status.

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The teams have contrasting domestic form, with ASEC languishing with five defeats, while Esperance are still undefeated in Tunisia. The Ivorians topped their CAF group comfortably though, suggesting where their focus lies.

Mamelodi Sundowns vs Young Africans

Here is a big money clash between wealthy private owners who have manoeuvred their way into the top spheres of footballing influence.

The interests of CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, and the inaugural chairman of the newly formed African Clubs Association, Hersi A. Said, give this fixture an undercurrent that ripples across the continent.

Motsepe has created the Sundowns machine and Said has used that model to replicate domestic success in Tanzania. This will be a clash of established stars looking to hold off the ambitious upstart.

CAF Champions League Semi-finals

Either Sundowns or Young Africans will play the winner of the ASEC Mimosa and Esperance tie, leaving the winners of the other two quarter-finals to face off.

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The dates for the semi-finals have yet to be confirmed and will be released after the quarter-finals are concluded, as per CAF Online.

Mamelodi Sundowns' biggest challengers

Sports Brief recently compiled a list of teams in the CAF Champions League that could threaten Sundowns.

Masandawana have been drawn against one of those teams who are among the continents's in-form sides.

The reigning African Football League champions could become double champions at the first time of asking.