Pyramids, Al Ahly, Young Africans and Sundowns register wins in CAF Champions League
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Pyramids, Al Ahly, Young Africans and Sundowns register wins in CAF Champions League

The group stages of the 2025/26 Caf Champions League kicked off with an exciting slate of matches, showcasing dominant performances from some of the biggest clubs.

In Group A, reigning champions Pyramids made a statement by defeating Nigeria’s Rivers United 3-0 in Cairo, thanks to a stunning hat trick from Ahmed Atef El Sayed.

Meanwhile, Caf Confederation Cup winners RS Berkane matched that scoreline against Zambia’s Power Dynamos, who had previously knocked out Vipers. Goals from Aaron Katebe, a clinical finish by Mounir Chouiar, and Paul Bassène’s second-half penalty sealed the victory for the Moroccans.

Over in Group B, record champions Al Ahly put on a show with a commanding 4-1 win against JS Kabylie in Cairo. Trezeguet found the net twice, Mohamed Sherif added another, and a late own goal from Kabylie capped off a convincing performance.

Tanzania’s Young Africans also got off to a solid start, clinching a 1-0 win over FAR Rabat in Zanzibar, courtesy of a sharp second-half finish from Prince Dube.

Group C saw wins for both Sundowns and Al Hilal. Sundowns triumphed 3-1 over DR Congo’s St. Eloi Lupopo, with Nuno Santos netting a brace and Marcello Allende adding another goal.

Al Hilal secured a gritty 2-1 victory against MC Alger in Kigali, with goals from Abdelrazek Omar and Mohamed Abdelrahman (“Al Gharbal”), even after finishing the match with 10 men.

In contrast, Simba faced a tough home loss, going down 1-0 to Angola’s Petro Atletico, with the lone goal scored by Benny. In the same group, Tunisia’s Esperance could only manage a draw against Mali’s Stade Malien in Tunis.

With match day two on the horizon, the excitement of the competition is set to continue next weekend.

  • Simba 0-1 Petro Atletico
  • RS Berkane 3-0 Power Dynamos
  • Pyramids 3-0 Rivers United
  • Al Ahly 4-1 JS Kabylie
  • Esperance 0-0 Stade de Malien
  • Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 St. Eloi Lupopo
  • Young Africans 1-0 FAR Rabat
  • Al Hilal Omdurman 2-1 MC Alger
Striker Augustine Williams and Pittsburgh Riverhounds win USL title
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Striker Augustine Williams and Pittsburgh Riverhounds win USL title

Sierra Leone International Augie Williams and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds won the USL Championship, their first league title in 26 years, by defeating FC Tulsa 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw at ONEOK Field.

Goalkeeper Eric Dick earned the Most Valuable Player award for making five saves during the match, including a critical stop against Tulsa’s Stefan Lukic in the shootout. This was his 16th shutout of the season, a team record.

Bertin Jacquesson, Robbie Mertz, Chase Boone, Sean Suber, and Beto Ydrach successfully converted their penalty kicks.

The Riverhounds made history by winning the title without conceding a goal in the playoffs, ending the year with 632 minutes of scoreless play.

The match began with plenty of action. Luke Biasi almost scored with a shot that hit the crossbar. Charles Ahl set up Augie Williams, who was denied by Tulsa’s Tyler Deric.

Tulsa had several chances, outshooting the Riverhounds 17-6. Dick made a crucial save against Kalil ElMedkhar in the 40th minute. Williams had one last chance before halftime but missed the target.

After the recess, Tulsa pressed hard in the second half, nearly scoring after a defensive mistake, but Griffin saved the day. A dangerous cross led to more scrambles, but Dick secured the ball.

Extra Time and Penalties

In extra time, neither team could find a breakthrough. During the shootout, after the Riverhounds went ahead 2-1, Lukic’s shot was saved by Dick. Ydrach then ended it with a shot down the middle as Deric dove to the side.

Hounds top the league, winning USL Championship Final
Hounds top the league, winning USL Championship Final
Sierra Leone's Daniel Kanu on target in Walsall win over Harrogate
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone’s Daniel Kanu on target in Walsall win over Harrogate

Sierra Leone International Daniel Kanu was on target Walsall bounced back to form in League Two with a convincing victory over struggling Harrogate.

Goals from Daniel Kanu and Priestley Farquharson were enough as this win marked a strong response after last week’s defeat to Colchester and extended Harrogate’s streak to four consecutive home league wins.

In the early stages of the match, Harrogate’s goalkeeper James Belshaw was in fine form, making brilliant saves to thwart efforts from Ryan Finnigan and Charlie Lakin.

Defender Anthony O’Connor also came to his team’s rescue, clearing another shot from Lakin off the line. Eventually, Walsall broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute. Jamille Matt’s clever lay-off allowed Kanu to skillfully evade O’Connor’s challenge, leaving Warren Burrell on the ground before calmly rolling the ball into the bottom-right corner past Belshaw from 10 yards out.

As the second half began, Shawn McCoulsky managed to deliver Harrogate’s only shot on target, but Walsall keeper Myles Roberts was up to the task.

Farquharson sealed the victory in the 87th minute, rising high in the six-yard box to connect with Finnigan’s left-wing corner, powering in a decisive header that put the match beyond doubt.

DRC 2026 World Cup Continental playoffs opponents confirmed
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

DR Congo’s 2026 World Cup Continental playoffs opponents confirmed

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has automatically qualified for one of the two finals in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament, according their FIFA rankings.

DR Congo has been placed in the final of the first bracket and New Caledonia will face Jamaica in the Pathway 1 semi-final. The Pathway 2 semi-final features Bolivia against Suriname. The winners will compete against the Congo DR and Iraq, respectively.

During the recent international break, DR Congo achieved two victories that secured its spot in this inter-confederation tournament. The nation finished second in Group B of the African qualifying round, behind Senegal.

As one of the top four second-placed teams in the group stage, the Leopards entered the continental play-off alongside Nigeria, Gabon, and Cameroon.

In the semi-final of this play-off, held in Morocco on Thursday, the Leopards faced Cameroon and won 1-0 with a last-minute goal from Chancel Mbemba, who scored in stoppage time.

DR Congo is now set to compete against Nigeria in the play-off final, with a chance to enter the FIFA Play-Off Tournament and potentially the World Cup at stake.

After a tense match that ended in a 1-1 draw following extra time, the winner was determined by penalties. DR Congo emerged victorious, allowing their qualification journey to continue.

The FIFA Play-Off Tournament is scheduled for March 2026 in Mexico, which is co-hosting the World Cup along with Canada and the USA. The tournament will allocate two spots for CONCACAF teams, one for a CONMEBOL team, one for an OFC team, one for a CAF team, and one for an AFC team.

This tournament will feature two brackets, with one seeded team in each bracket based on the FIFA Men’s Rankings.

These seeded teams will automatically advance to the finals, while the remaining four teams will compete in one semi-final per bracket, with the winners moving on to the finals. Ultimately, two teams will qualify for the World Cup from this tournament.

Yassine Bounou named Africa’s Goalkeeper of the Year
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Yassine Bounou named Africa’s Goalkeeper of the Year

Morocco's Yassine Bounou has been awarded the title of Goalkeeper of the Year in Africa for 2025, marking the second time in his career he has earned this esteemed recognition.

The award was presented during the CAF Awards ceremony held on Wednesday in Rabat, Morocco. Legendary former Egypt national team goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary had the honour of presenting the award to Bounou on stage.

The Al Hilal keepr outshone two other contenders for the accolade: Munir Mohamedi (RS Berkane – Morocco) and Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns – South Africa).

Previously, secured the Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2023 and successfully reclaimed it this year from Williams, who had taken home the title last year.

This latest achievement solidifies Bounou’s place among the continent’s top goalkeepers over the past decade.