CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals Draw and Europa Conference League Preview

Image credits: © Imago

The draw for the quarter-finals of the 2024/25 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League will take place in Doha, Qatar, where the eight remaining sides will learn their path to the final. The four group winners will be drawn against the four runners-up, though they cannot meet the team who advanced to the knockout stage from their pool. The draw for the semi-finals will be conducted at the same time. The eight remaining teams in the competition are AL Hilal, AS FAR, Esperance Sportive de Tunis, Orlando Pirates, Al Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns, MC Alger, and Pyramids FC.

Meanwhile, in the Europa Conference League, Cypriot clubs Omonia and Pafos FC are gearing up to face each other in the second leg of their knockout phase playoff tie. The tie is currently finely balanced, with the two sides having played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Pafos FC manager Juan Carlos Carcedo has stressed the importance of his club's fans to give them the upper hand in their home-from-home in Limassol. The winner of the tie will qualify for the round of 16, where they will face one of Swiss side Lugano or Swedish outfit Djurgardens. European football fans are eagerly anticipating the match, which promises to be an exciting all-Cyprus affair.

The group winners in the CAF Champions League have shown impressive form, with AL Hilal topping their pool with 10 points from a possible 18, and AS FAR going unbeaten through the pool stage with two wins and four draws. Esperance Sportive de Tunis edged Egyptian side Pyramids on head-to-head to top their pool with 13 points, while Orlando Pirates have been riding a wave of success under Spanish coach Jose Riveiro. The group runners-up, including Al Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns, MC Alger, and Pyramids FC, will be looking to cause upsets in the quarter-finals. The knockout stages of the competition are expected to be intense, with the teams battling it out for a place in the final.

In the Europa Conference League, Pafos and Omonia Nicosia head into Thursday's crunch tie in fine form, with Pafos having secured a 1-0 victory over Apollon Limassol on home turf last Sunday. Omonia Nicosia, meanwhile, picked up a 3-1 victory over Omonia Aradippou in the 1. Division. The match is expected to be an exciting contest, with both sides looking to keep their European dreams alive. The winner of the tie will face a tough opponent in the round of 16, but will be eager to progress to the next stage of the competition.

Here are the match scores and team statistics for the CAF Champions League and Europa Conference League:

• CAF Champions League group stage scores:
  • AL Hilal: 10 points from 6 matches
  • AS FAR: 10 points from 6 matches
  • Esperance Sportive de Tunis: 13 points from 6 matches
  • Orlando Pirates: 14 points from 6 matches
• Europa Conference League match scores:
  • Pafos vs Omonia Nicosia: 1-1 (first leg)
  • Pafos vs Apollon Limassol: 1-0
  • Omonia Nicosia vs Omonia Aradippou: 3-1