Dar es Salaam. There is a sense of cautious optimism and silent anxiety among Yanga SC supporters following the CAF Champions League group stage draw held on Monday.
While their eternal rivals Simba SC appear to have found themselves in what many are calling a relatively “safe zone,” the reigning Tanzanian champions must brace for a brutal test in a group packed with North African heavyweights.
Yet, despite the mixed emotions, fans from both camps echo a single phrase: “Let’s play and see what happens.”
Both Tanzanian giants Yanga SC and Simba SC will fly the national flag in Africa’s elite competition, each drawn into separate but equally challenging pools.
Yanga find themselves in Group B, alongside record champions Al Ahly of Egypt, JS Kabylie of Algeria and AS FAR Rabat of Morocco.
It is a group brimming with continental pedigree, leaving many wondering if Yanga have once again walked straight into the lion’s den.
Group B: The Group of Death
Al Ahly, with a staggering 12 CAF Champions League titles a CAF Confederation Cup crown and eight Super Cups, stand as the undisputed giants of the group.
The Egyptian powerhouse are currently in a rebuilding phase under their new Danish coach Jess Thorup who is tasked with restoring their dominance after watching Pyramids FC clinch the title last season.
Domestically, Al Ahly’s recent form has shown signs of vulnerability.
Two consecutive league draws home and away have left them sitting second on the Egyptian Premier League table with 23 points, trailing Ceramica Cleopatra (26 points) after 12 matches.
It is a reminder that even the strongest can stumble.
Yanga will begin their campaign away in Cairo between January 23 and 24, 2026, before hosting the return leg a week later in Dar es Salaam (January 30–31).
While Yanga have previously defeated Al Ahly on Tanzanian soil, they have never won in Egypt a record they will be desperate to change.
To strengthen their squad, reports suggest Al Ahly are closing in on Ibrahim Diabaté, the Ivorian forward from Sweden’s GAIS, in a deal worth $1 million (approx. Sh2.6 billion).
Yanga, on the other hand, enter this campaign with a modest continental record.
Their biggest success remains reaching the CAF Confederation Cup final in 2022–2023, before being eliminated at the group stage of the Champions League last season.
With a new coach, Pedro Gonçalves of Portugal, the Tanzanian champions are determined to push further this time around.
Their second opponent, AS FAR Rabat, Morocco’s royal army club and former African champions (1985), are in fine domestic form.
They have collected 14 points from their last five Botola Pro matches (three wins and two draws), currently sitting second, just one point behind Maghreb Fez.
Yanga will open their group stage campaign against AS FAR between November 21 and 22, 2025, before facing them again on February 6–7, 2026.
Starting strong will be crucial for the Tanzanian side if they are to stand any chance of progressing.
AS FAR, however, have endured a trophy drought in recent seasons, often overshadowed by Raja Casablanca and RS Berkane, the latter being last season’s Moroccan champions.
The third group rival, JS Kabylie, represent Algeria’s fierce footballing spirit.
They finished second in their domestic league last season, narrowly losing the title to MC Alger by just two points.
Their journey to the group stage saw them eliminate US Monastir of Tunisia the same side Yanga faced in their 2022 Confederation Cup run winning both home and away.
Kabylie boast two CAF Champions League titles (1981 and 1990), and among their squad is familiar face Babacar Sarr, the Senegalese midfielder who once featured for Simba SC.
Currently fifth in the Algerian league with 15 points from eight matches, Kabylie have recorded four wins and one draw in their last five outings.
Yanga will travel to Algeria between November 28 and 29, 2025, and close their group campaign at home against Kabylie between February 13 and 14, 2026.
Group D: Simba’s Battle for Supremacy
Simba SC, meanwhile, have been drawn in Group D alongside four-time champions Espérance Sportive de Tunis, Petro de Luanda of Angola, and Stade Malien of Mali.
Espérance are the most decorated side in this group, having lifted the Champions League in 1994, 2011, 2018, and 2019.
They currently top the Tunisian Ligue 1 table with eight wins, three draws, and one loss from 12 matches, having also been crowned champions last season with 66 points from 30 games.
Simba, who finished second in last season’s Tanzanian Premier League and were runners-up in the CAF Confederation Cup, face a stern test but enter the tournament in high spirits.
Domestically, they’ve started their new campaign brightly, collecting six points from their first two matches and confidence is running high under head coach Fadlu Davids.
Their Angolan opponents, Petro de Luanda, bring a wealth of experience, having featured in the Champions League eight times and the Confederation Cup seven times.
The club reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2004–2006 and though they last appeared in CAF competitions in 2019–2020, they remain a respected force.
In their domestic league, Petro sit sixth with nine points (three wins and one defeat) from four matches after finishing top last season.
Meanwhile, Stade Malien, Mali’s reigning champions, are regarded as underdogs with a history of strong runs in the Confederation Cup, including a memorable final appearance.
Although their domestic league is yet to kick off, they remain one of the country’s most stable and structured clubs.
Prize Money Breakdown
The financial rewards of the CAF Champions League continue to make it Africa’s richest competition:
Winners: $4,000,000 (approx. Sh9.8 billion)
Runners-up: $2,000,000 (Sh4.9 billion)
Semi-finalists: $1,200,000 (Sh2.9 billion)
Quarter-finalists: $900,000 (Sh2.2 billion)
Third in Group: $700,000 (Sh1.7 billion)
Fourth in Group: $700,000 (Sh1.7 billion)
Preliminary Round: $50,000 (Sh122 million)
CAF Champions League 2025/26 Groups
Group A: RS Berkane (Morocco), Pyramids FC (Egypt), Rivers United (Nigeria), Power Dynamos (Zambia)
Group B: Al Ahly (Egypt), Yanga SC (Tanzania), AS FAR (Morocco), JS Kabylie (Algeria)
Group C: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Al Hilal (Sudan), MC Alger (Algeria), St Éloi Lupopo (DR Congo)
Group D: Espérance Tunis (Tunisia), Simba SC (Tanzania), Petro de Luanda (Angola), Stade Malien (Mali)
