CAFCL: Reghecampf salutes Al Hilal for finishing top

Al Hilal Omdurman coach Laurentiu Reghecampf has saluted his team for withstanding pressure in their 1-0 victory over FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo in Rwanda on Saturday to qualify for the CAF Champions League quarterfinal stage.

The victory achieved at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali saw the Sudanese giants finishing on top of Group C, while being joined by Mamelodi Sundowns in the last-eight after the South Africans overcame MC Alger 2-0 also on Saturday.

🏆 #TotalEnergiesCAFCL
⚽ Al Hilal ⚔️ FC St Eloi Lupopo
⏰ 90+6′
🥅 1-0
🔚 𝐅𝐈𝐍
C’est fini au stade Amahoro. Le FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo s’incline (1-0) face à Al Hilal, mais sort par la grande porte. Malgré une infériorité numérique qui aurait pu les briser, les Cheminots ont… pic.twitter.com/MueE6jP0pV

— FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (@fcsteloilupopo) February 14, 2026

The Romanian said it was difficult overcoming the Congolese side considering that all teams in the group had a chance to qualify for the quarterfinals.

“After this game, I just want to celebrate,” Reghecampf told Al Hilal media.

“I Just want to stay with my players and congratulate them because they were amazing, and not only in this game. The fact that they finished first in this group with three amazing teams, I am happy.”

How Lupopo posed a challenge for Al Hilal

The coach added that the game in Kigali was full of emotions considering what was at stake for Al Hilal and Lupopo.

“I don’t want to speak about this game because anything could have happened. With positive results, all the four teams could have qualified from this group,” Reghecampf said.

That is why there was a lot of pressure and a lot of emotions. I could have understood the players if they had made mistakes. That is why I am very proud of the performance, and I am going to celebrate.”

How Reghecampf analysed Al Hilal’s performance

The seasoned tactician analysed how his Sudanese side navigated its way to the quarterfinals from what was considered a group of death.

“All the teams were very difficult. We played against Mamelodi Sundowns, the finalists of last year’s Champions League, and we won four points. We played against MC Alger, a team, which invested a lot of money, and they have an amazing team and fans.

“It is not easy to play against them, looking at the quality of the Algerian teams. That is why when we played against Lupopo, I said this team not easy to play against because they have good players and they can put you under stress.

“That is why I said we didn’t have any team that after three games, you could have said you have qualified. It was a very a strong group.”