Six teams have secured their place in this season’s CAF Champions League quarterfinals after some nail-biting rounds of Match Day 5 fixtures that took place on Friday and Saturday.Defending champions and Egyptian giants Al Ahly remain on course to their title defense after a 1-0 victory over Ghana’s Medeama saw them through to the exciting knockout phase of the competition with a game to spare.##NAJAVA_MECA_7899501##Joining the reigning champions after Match Day 5 are five strong African clubs: Ivorian side Asec Mimosas; South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns who are also the African Football League champions; Angola’s Petro de Luanda; former African Champions and FIFA Club World Cup finalists TP Mazembe; and Tanzania’s Young Africans, who all qualify for the quarter-finals of the continent’s premier club competition with a game in hand.Of the current six teams that have officially booked their places, only two have yet to taste continental success, with Al Ahly (11), Asec Mimosas (1), Mamelodi Sundowns (1), and TP Mazembe (5) all having previously lifted Africa’s most coveted club football trophy.Stunning Young Africans book CAF Champions League last-eight slotThe qualification of the six teams officially sets up a grand finale to the group stages of the competition in what is sure to be a dramatic race to secure the last two available spots on Match Day 6, scheduled for March 1–2.Mamelodi Sundowns and TP Mazembe are through in Group A, while Group D was decided by Ahly and Young Africans’ respective wins, meaning that the two remaining places will be contested in Group B and C.In Group B, Morocco’s Wydad AC who had a rather slow start to their Group Stage campaign, injected life into their title ambitions with a 1-0 win over Jwaneng Galaxy in Botswana—a result that sees them tied on six (6) points with Simba AC, who face Jwaneng Galaxy in next week’s final round, while Wydad take on the high-flying Asec Mimosas.In Group C, Petro de Luanda’s qualification leaves the race for second place to be contested by Esperance Sportive de Tunis and Al-Hilal. Interestingly, the two sides face each other head-on in a fixture that promises to produce fireworks in Tunis on Saturday evening.Stars Abroad: Otieno valiant in Zesco’s derby draw, Okumu sidelined for ReimsCAF Champions League Match Day 6 Fixtures:Friday, 01 MarchCR Belouizdad – MedeamaAl Ahly – Young AfricansSaturday, 02 MarchPyramids – NouadhibouMamelodi Sundowns – TP MazembeSimba – Jwaneng*Wydad – Asec*ES Tunis – Al-Hilal*Petro de Luanda – ES Sahel© CAF Online
