1. Patrice Beaumelle tips MC Alger to beat Yanga
“We are ready to beat Young Africans and get the three points in the Champions League tomorrow. We are hungry for the win”, the French coach said in his pre-match conference ahead of the clash with the Tanzanian club Young Africans. MC Alger secured a good point against TP Mazembe away from home, and a win against Yanga will put them in a good position against the Tanzanians, who the connoisseurs of the game tipped to qualify for the knockout stage. MC Alger has not been in good form lately after picking just a win in the last six games, drawing four and losing one. It will be a tough trip for Young Africans after enduring a horrible spell recently, even though they bounced back to winning ways after beating Namungo 2-0 to stop the three consecutive losing run. In 2017 in the qualification for the Confederation Cup group stage, MC Alger smashed Yanga 4-0 and would love to repeat that scoreline in Algiers.
2. Orlando Pirates faces the ultimate test in Al Ahly
The Buc’s superb start to the season was halted by Stellenbosch who won 1-0 at the Betway Premiership league leaders. It was the first defeat in the league as the perfect start was crushed by the unpredictable Stellenbosch. Will they bounce back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon? The Buccaneers won at Belouizdad on match day one and that was the pinnacle of Jose Riveiro’s side thus far. Playing against Al Ahly comes with a different mentality and pressure. Orlando Pirates will need a huge mental toughness to end Al Ahly’s two-year unbeaten run in the competition.
3. Stade d’Abidjan makes home debut in the CAF Champions League money zone
Stade d’Abidjan conquered the continent in 1966 and has since lost on the big stage. The team with the youngest coach, Alexander Laffite, 27, knows the stage is extremely different. The Abidjan-based club lost 4-2 in Cairo to the defending champions and would love to bounce back against Belouizdad. The Algerians lost at home in the opening round of the season and can’t afford to lose back-to-back. Stade d’Abidjan has a huge test at hand and must dig deep to look for the three points to boost their confidence.
4. Can TP Mazembe overcome the troubles and beat Al Hilal?
Al Hilal will host TP Mazembe in Nouakchott in Mauritania on Sunday night. It is a game that TP Mazembe have struggled to prepare fully as expected because of the long-existing troubles that seem unending.
Per one of the leading African football journalists, “Mikky Jnr”, TP Mazembe is finding it difficult to travel to Mauritania from Kinshasa and was stuck there. They were scheduled to fly to Nouakchott via Casablanca from Kinshasa, but the team were still stranded as of Friday morning. Things have been so horrible for TP Mazembe in recent years and the earlier they get things sorted, the better it will be for the club. Al Hilal are very confident ahead of the tie after beating Yanga in Tanzania.
5. AS FAR test themselves against Mamelodi Sundowns
FAR’s smash-and-grab win in Casablanca against Raja was so sensational on matchday 1. AS FAR’s women team have made a huge name for the Sporting club recently and the men’s team must grab this opportunity and announce themselves once again on the continent. Welcoming Mamelodi Sundowns is always a good moment for every club because they are a delight to watch. Football clubs across the continent loves watching the Brazilians and FAR’s fans won’t be exception. The South Africans shock defeat to Magesi continued with a goalless draw with debutant Maniema. A defeat in Morocco will put Sundowns in a tight corner while FAR will take a commanding lead in the group.
Check out the full fixtures and Kick-off times
**Friday 6th December
Sagrada v Esperance (4 pm) *** already played. Goalless draw.
**Saturday 7th December
Maniema v Raja Casablanca (1 pm)
Orlando Pirates v Al Ahly (1 pm)
Stade d’Abidjan v Belouizdad (4 pm)
MC Alger v Young Africans ( 7 pm)
FAR Rabat v Mamelodi Sundowns (7 pm)
**Sunday 8th December
Djoliba v Pyramids (4 pm)
Al Hilal Oumdurman v TP Mazembe ( 7 pm)
