Sunday, March 22
AL Hilal Vs RS Berkane (Amahoro Stadium, Kigali, 18:00 CAT)
Sudan’s Al-Hilal Omdurman welcome Moroccan champions RS Berkane to Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda, on Sunday, March 22 for the second leg of their CAF Champions League quarter-final.
The first leg held at Stade Municipal de Berkane ended 1-1 with Abdelrazig Omer firing the Sudanese side ahead in the 13th minute before Mounir Chouiar rescued the hosts from the penalty spot in the 99th minute.
That late equaliser arrived after Al-Hilal defender Steve Ebuela was shown a straight red card for a foul on Hamza El Moussaoui inside the box, a decision confirmed by the Video Assistant Referee that has since sparked an official complaint from the Sudanese club to CAF.
The same system will be used in Kigali when the pair go against each other in the second leg to decide who will face FAR Rabat who eliminated holders Pyramids with a 3-2 aggregate victory in Egypt on Saturday.
With the aggregate score locked at 1-1, everything is still to play for in this decisive return fixture, and Al-Hilal will fancy their chances at what has become their adopted home ground during the ongoing civil war in Sudan.
The Omdurman club has been one of the standout stories of this season’s CAF Champions League, topping Group C with 11 points ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns and MC Alger.
Their group stage campaign included a 2-1 victory over Sundowns at Amahoro Stadium and a convincing 2-1 opening day win against MC Alger, meaning they have genuine pedigree on this ground.
Domestically in Rwanda Premier League, the club have been equally impressive form, where they sit third on the table after a nine-match winning streak that included a 2-0 defeat of reigning Rwandan champions APR FC. Winning their four games in hand would see them go top of the table ahead of current leaders APR FC and their traditional rivals Al Merrikh who are also participating in the Rwandan league.
Manager Laurentiu Reghecampf has built a well-organised side that thrives on defensive discipline and devastating counter-attacking football.
The Romanian tactician will be without Ebuela through suspension for this second leg, which is a notable loss at right back given the role the Congolese has played throughout the group stage. Yaser Awad is the most likely candidate to slot in at right back in his place.
The Sudanese side are two-time CAF Champions League finalists, losing in 1987 and 1992, while Berkane have three CAF Confederation Cup titles but are newcomers to the Champions League stage.
Al-Hilal average 2.56 goals per game in the Rwanda Premier League this season and take around 10.2 shots per match, suggesting an attacking output.
On the other hand, RS Berkane are the reigning Botola Pro champions and are competing in the CAF Champions League for the first time in their history after winning the Moroccan league title in 2024-25.
They finished second in Group A with 10 points, behind defending champions Pyramids FC, and ended the group stage with a statement 3-0 victory over Nigeria’s Rivers United courtesy of goals from Youssef Mehri and a Paul Bassene brace.
In the Botola Pro, Berkane currently sit sixth in the table with 24 points from 12 matches, recording seven wins, three draws and two defeats.
Their domestic form has dipped slightly in recent weeks, drawing their last two league matches, including a goalless affair against Ittihad Tanger and a 1-1 share of the spoils with Raja Casablanca.
The "Orange Boys” boast a formidable home record in African competition but now face the challenge of travelling to Kigali needing a result to keep their continental dream alive.
Berkane have no major suspensions to contend with and should travel to Kigali with a full-strength squad.
The club’s top scorers across all competitions this season are Mounir Chouiar and Oussama Lamlaoui, both with eight goals apiece, while Youssef Mehri has contributed six.
This is only the second competitive meeting between Al-Hilal Omdurman and RS Berkane, so the head-to-head record remains slim.
Probable lineups
Al Hilal XI (4-2-3-1): Ouedraogo; Awad, Karshom, Saeed Ahmed, Luzolo; Khidir, Adil; Girumugisha, Raouf, Coulibaly; Abdelrahman
RS Berkane XI (4-2-3-1): Anas Zniti, Oussama Haddadi, Ismael Kandouss, Abdelhak Assal and Et-Tayeb Boukhriss, Rayane Aabid, Ayoub Khairi, Mounir Chouiar, Youssef Mehri, Imad Riahi and Ayoub El Kaabi