Andrew Olsson
November 19, 2025CAF Champions League Preview: Group B
Al Ahly training session. Photo: Al Ahly SC
CAF Champions League Preview: Group B
The 2025-26 CAF Champions League group stage begins this weekend and Africa’s premier club competition has plenty of familiar top clubs as well as some new faces taking part this season.
Pan-Africa Football is previewing all four groups and now we focus on Group B from the CAF Champions League, which features Tanzanian champions Young Africans alongside three historic North African clubs: Algeria’s JS Kabylie, Moroccan giants AS FAR Rabat and Africa’s Club of the 20th Century, Egypt’s Al Ahly SC.
Al Ahly SC (EGY)
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Introduction
The most legendary club in the history of African football is desperate to return back to the top after last year’s semifinal elimination at this competition, a disappointing result by their high standards. However, Al Ahly managed to win Egypt’s Nile League at the expense of Cairo rivals Zamalek and CAF Champions League winners Pyramids FC and also turned in a respectable performance at the FIFA Club World Cup.
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But things have not gone smoothly so far in the 2025-26 season. Jose Riviero took over for the Club World Cup but was dismissed after a poor start to the ongoing Nile League campaign, leaving Danish coach Jess Thorup in charge. The 55-year-old has plenty of experience with top Danish clubs FC Copenhagen and FC Midtjylland as well as most recently with Bundesliga club FC Augsburg. Coming into the Champions League from winning the Egyptian Super Cup, Thorup and Ahly are in strong form.
Key Players
Ahmed Sayed “Zizo”
The subject of much controversy at the end of last season, Zizo was a former club hero at Zamalek before electing to burn his bridges with the club by electing to join eternal rivals Al Ahly on a free transfer rather than sign a new contract with Zamalek. A set piece and penalty kick specialist with excellent technique when striking the ball, the 29-year-old failed to impress in his first appearances at the FIFA Club World Cup but is finding his form.
Mohamed El Shenawy
The Egypt national team goalkeeper is a club legend and continues to be an important leader in the Ahly defense. At 36 years old, El Shenawy is in the twilight of his career but has shown no notable signs of a decline. Even if academy graduate Mostafa “Oufa” Shobeir is being given more opportunities to prove himself, El Shenawy continues to be the visible leader of the team and a major reason why Ahly is always in contention for titles.
Trezeguet
After over ten seasons spent abroad, the Egypt national team star attacker returned to his boyhood club for the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup and has shown his class for Ahly. The former Aston Villa and Trabzonspor winger is clever on the ball, decisive in the final third with the ability to both score and create goals in high volume.
Nejc Gradisar
The Slovenian forward was signed to provide goals, especially once Palestinian national team striker Wissam Abou Ali departed following the Club World Cup. However, Gradisar has been frustrating to watch for Ahly supporters and only has 9 goals in 35 appearances so far which is below expectations. The pressure is on and after failing to give Ahly a boost in this competition last season, this year’s CAF Champions League is the last chance for Gradisar or Ahly will be quick to look elsewhere.
Young Africans (TZA)
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Introduction
The passionately supported club based in Dar es Salaam have dominated club football in Tanzania the last few years, a fact the Citizens hammered home last season by winning every domestic cup as well as the Tanzania Mainland Premier League. However, outside of a run to the final of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2023, continental success has been elusive particularly in the CAF Champions League.
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Yanga have not progressed beyond the group stage in this competition, and the club have spent big to make a breakthrough. After a brief period under coach Romain Folz, Yanga have turned to accomplished Portuguese tactician Pedro Goncalves who previously had success with the Angola national team. However, Group B appears to be the most difficult group and one of sub-Saharan Africa’s top clubs will have to go through three fierce North African clubs to advance.
Key Players
Pacôme Zouzoua
The Ivorian is a player who clearly has the quality to play in European club football and recently broke into the Ivory Coast national team due to his performances with Yanga. The best player in the Tanzania Mainland Premier League is a tricky playmaker who excels in this star-studded team. Zouzoua is excellent at providing the final pass but also loves to score in a variety of ways, whether it is with long range efforts or in 1-on-1 situations.
Dickson Job
A star on the Tanzania national team, the defender relishes engaging with the opposition’s top striker and defending in space where he thrives. From the east of Tanzania in Morogoro, Job began his career with local club Mtibwa Sugar before catching the eye of Yanga. At this point in his career, Job will not be afraid of facing some of the high priced attackers he will come up against in Group B.
Prince Dube
With young star and the club’s leading scorer last season in the Champions League, Clement Mzize, out for a couple of months due to injury, the Zimbabwean striker will be tasked with providing the goals. While Dube has been a reliable goal scorer in the Tanzanian top flight for over five seasons now with Yanga and previously Azam FC, he has yet to prove himself at the highest stage of African club football.
Yahya Mudathir
A central midfielder who likes to get forward and has an eye for goal, Yahya is one of the many members of Yanga who is a regular with the Tanzania national team. Yahya will act as the link between the defense and attack, with duties on both sides of the ball to support Zouzoua as he performs the role of conductor for the Yanga attack.
AS FAR Rabat (MAR)
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Introduction
The club from the Moroccan capital is owned by the nation’s Royal Army with former King Hassan II heavily involved in the creation of the club. With thirteen league titles in Morocco’s top flight Botola Pro as well as twelve cup trophies, AS FAR have also enjoyed continental success by winning the 1985 CAF Champions League (then known as the African Cup of Champions Clubs) as well as the 2005 CAF Confederation Cup.
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Led by Portuguese coach Alexandre Santos, who previously led Angolan club Petro de Luanda to the semifinals of this competition, what stands out the most about AS FAR is their strong defense and fierce spirit. After reaching the quarterfinals last season in the Champions League, the objective is a deeper run this time around.
Players to Watch
Mohamed Hrimat
The heart of this club, the central midfielder is a passionate leader who is always communicating and demanding more of his teammates. Hrimat forms a strong central partnership with Anas Bach, and the AS FAR duo played a crucial role to help the Morocco national team win the African Nations Championship a few months ago. An accomplished passer of the ball who is also a good finisher, Hrimat’s greatest strength lies in his defending and leadership.
Youssef El Fahli
The tall striker is an accomplished goal scorer, previously leading RS Berkane to the 2021-22 CAF Confederation Cup. While El Fahli has never been seen as the star during his time with Berkane and now AS FAR, he is a complimentary player who can provide timely goals. However, the goals have dried up in continental competition in recent seasons. With AS FAR’s strong defense but questions about their limited attacking capabilities, El Fahli will need to provide a strong answer with recent signings Mouchcine Bouriga and Hamza Khabba as well as veteran Ahmed Hammoudan ready to step in.
Reda Slim
The AS FAR youth academy graduate signed with Egyptian giants Al Ahly ahead of the 2023-24 season, but fell down the pecking order at Ahly and is now back to Morocco on loan at the club where he made his name. A quick forward who operates on the flanks, the 26-year-old is the most dynamic attacking threat in the AS FAR side with his ability to dribble past defenders as well as finish.
Yunis Abdelhamid
A 38-year-old veteran central defender, the French-born Abdelhamid was a legend at French club Stade Reims and is now in his first season in Moroccan club football after spending his entire club career in France. He has immediately stepped into a leadership role and it will be interesting to see if Abdelhamid can thrive in the Champions League. A member of the Morocco national team at the 2019 and 2023 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations.
JS Kabylie (ALG)
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Introduction
JS Kabylie (JSK) are a highly popular club in north central Algeria that is highly representative of the Kabyle people, a notable group of Amazigh (Berber) peoples. Despite the presence of the big clubs based in the Algerian capital Algiers, JSK continue to regularly compete for titles and are actually the most successful club in the history of Algerian football with fourteen top flight titles.
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Led by former Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer, JSK are eager to re-establish themselves in the Champions League after previously winning the competition in 1981 and 1990. The last several seasons have seen Algerian clubs struggle to compete once they get into the deep stages of the competition and JSK have built their squad with higher aspirations in mind.
Key Players
Aymen Mahious
The top scorer of the 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN) with Algeria, Mahious is a strong striker who is proficient at scoring with his feet or his head. Following his success at the CHAN and with club USM Alger, with whom he won the 2022-23 CAF Confederation Cup, Mahious spent over a season in Switzerland before starring last season for CR Belouizdad on loan. His permanent return to Algerian football was confirmed with a move to JSK ahead of the current season.
Ryad Boudebouz
The French-born traditional “#10” playmaker with excellent technique is enjoying the twilight of his club career with JSK after spending his previous career in France, Spain and Saudi Arabia. Boudebouz was a highly regarded young player who elected to represent Algeria after being a youth international for France, representing the North African nation at the 2010 World Cup. Now the captain of JSK, Boudebouz is a player who adds class and flair to the tough and rugged CAF Champions League.
Zineddine Belaid
A tenacious and fearless defender, Belaid is another sign of JSK’s ambition to progress far in the Champions League after spending a large transfer fee to bring the 26-year-old back to Algeria after a brief spell in Belgium. Belaid was teammates with Aymen Mahious when the two players won the CAF Confederation Cup with USM Alger and the central defender was also a key player of the victorious Algerian team at the 2022 CHAN.
Babacar Sarr
The Senegalese central midfielder is a cousin of Tottenham Hotspur and Senegal national team star Pape Matar Sarr. But Babacar is known more as a disruptor in the midfield who acts as a screen to protect the JSK defensive line. The 28-year-old received his first experience in the Champions League during the 2020-21 season when Senegalese club Teungueth surprised experts by reaching the group stage. After several years in Tunisia, notably with US Monastir, as well as a brief spell with Tanzanian giants Simba SC, Sarr has become a regular sight for JSK since joining ahead of last season.
