The matches of the third round of the group stage of the African Champions League ended, amid mixed results for the participating Arab clubs.
The Egyptian Al-Ahly and Moroccan Wydad teams are still in a postponed match from the first round due to their participation in the Club World Cup that was held in Morocco in early February, as Moroccan Wydad awaits a confrontation against the Congolese Vita Club in the first group, and Al-Ahly against Cameroonian cotton in the second group.
The three rounds witnessed the Moroccan Raja and the Tunisian Esperance teams collecting 9 points by winning the three matches, while the Cameroonian cotton team did not win in its two matches, and it is the only team that did not collect any points.
And the Moroccan Raja team is the owner of the strongest attack line, scoring 10 goals, and the strongest line of defense, as it did not concede any goal in its net.
The Egyptian Zamalek and Ugandan Vipers did not score any goals in 3 rounds, to score the worst offensive line in the tournament.
Strong Arab opportunities in the first group
- Moroccan Wydad is waiting for a postponed match against Vita Club in Casablanca on Friday, March 3, before entering the fourth round.
- Wydad seeks to win the match to take the lead before playing two matches away from home.
- Wydad is enough for him to win two matches at home against Vita Club and Algeria’s JS Kabylie, and snatch two tie points abroad against Vita Club and Angolan Petro Atletico to qualify.
- As for JS Kabylie, it has an advantage by playing against Vita Club and Petro Atlético in Algeria, and thus winning them will bring it a lot closer to qualifying, as it will reach the tenth point before facing Wydad in the last round in Morocco.
Petro Atletico 4 points from 3 matches
JS Kabylie 4 points from 3 matches
Vita Club 3 points from two matches
Moroccan Wydad 3 points from two matches
Al-Ahly is in trouble and Sudanese brilliance
- Al-Ahly’s position was complicated after collecting a single point from two matches, and he had a postponed match against Cameroonian Cotton on March 3, before entering the fourth round against Sun Downs in South Africa.
- Al-Ahly’s victory against Cameroonian cotton will bring it back to competition, provided a positive result is achieved against Sun Downs in South Africa.
- Al-Ahly needs 10 points from the remaining four matches to qualify and not enter into accounts with competitors.
- Al-Hilal of Sudan has the advantage of facing the Cameroonian Cotton and Sun Downs in Sudan, and winning them brings them closer to qualification, but the confrontation with the South African champion will be in the last round, which may be a decisive confrontation.
Mamelodi Sundowns 7 points from 3 matches
Al Hilal Sudanese 6 points from 3 matches
Al-Ahly of Egypt, a point from two matches
Cameroonian cotton 0 points from two matches
Raja sweeps away his rivals
- In the third group, Moroccan Raja came close to qualifying after collecting 9 points with a full mark by winning 3 matches.
- Raja needs to win a single match to ensure that they officially qualify for the next round.
- The group is witnessing a competition for second place between Guinean Houria Conakry, Tanzanian Simba and Ugandan Vipers.
Please 9 points
Guinean Conakry 4 points
Tanzanian Simba 3 points
Ugandan Vipers single point
Arabic group
Tunisia’s Esperance joins Moroccan Raja in collecting the full score, 9 points from 3 matches.
Esperance, the leaders of Group D, need to win a single match to officially qualify.
The Arab group is witnessing a competition for the second place, as the Sudanese Al-Merreikh occupies the runner-up with 4 points, followed by the Algerian youth of Belouizdad with 3 points, while Zamalek is at the bottom of the group with a point.
Zamalek difficult opportunities
In the next round, Zamalek will receive the Esperance team in Cairo, and any negative result for the Egyptian league champion means that he will bid farewell to the championship early.
Zamalek needs to win its next three matches, with Taraji achieving positive results against its rivals, Al-Merreikh and Belouizdad.
Runner-up match
In the next round, the youth of Belouizdad will host its Sudanese rival, Al-Merikh, in Algeria, in the match to determine the second-place finisher, behind Al-Taraji.
Belouizdad’s chances are stronger
The winner of that match will be a step closer, but the chances of the youth of Belouizdad are the greatest, as two confrontations await him at home against Mars and Zamalek, and winning them with Esperance achieving a positive result against Mars will mean that the Algerian champion officially qualifies, before facing Esperance in the last round.
Esperance 9 points
Sudanese Mars 4 points
Belouizdad youth 3 points
Zamalek is one point
