CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Smiso Msomi|Published
South African coaches Rulani Mokwena and Steve Barker have secured their places in the CAF Champions League group stages after guiding Pyramids FC and Simba SC through the preliminary rounds with emphatic aggregate victories.
Mokwena’s Pyramids continued their impressive start under the former Mamelodi Sundowns coach, beating South Sudanese side El Merriekh Bentiu 4-0 on Saturday to complete a 5-0 aggregate triumph.
The result extended Mokwena’s winning run since taking charge of the Egyptian club to 12 consecutive victories, underlining the impact he has made at the reigning African champions.
Pyramids were in control from the first half, with Abdelrahman Magdi scoring twice before Mostafa Fathi added another in first-half stoppage time. Nadhir Benbouali completed the scoring in the 71st minute to confirm their progression.
For Mokwena, the qualification represents an important step towards the club’s ambition of retaining its continental crown.
Having inherited a team that lifted the Champions League title in the 2024/25 season, the 39-year-old faces the challenge of sustaining those standards while establishing his own identity.
Barker also enjoyed a convincing passage into the group stages with Tanzanian giants Simba SC, who defeated Equatorial Guinea’s 15 de Agosto 3-0 on Sunday to seal a 9-1 aggregate victory.
Simba had already taken a commanding 6-1 lead from the first leg, but completed the job in front of their home supporters through second-half goals from Anicet Oura, Elie Mpanzu and South African forward Matlala Makgalwa.
The result confirmed Simba’s place among Africa’s final 16 clubs and gave Barker another opportunity to test himself against the continent’s strongest sides.
The former Stellenbosch FC coach has made an encouraging start to life in Tanzania, with Simba targeting continental success alongside their domestic ambitions.
Mokwena and Barker are among the South African tacticians working beyond the country’s borders, continuing a growing presence of local coaching talent at prominent African clubs.
Former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has also guided Young Africans into the group stage but parted ways with the club soon after.
Their progress comes as Orlando Pirates secured qualification after a victory over Namibian side African Stars, meaning the Buccaneers will also represent South African club football in the competition.
However, the picture is less encouraging for Mamelodi Sundowns, who were eliminated by Angola’s Wiliete SC after a draw in the second leg left them on the wrong side of the aggregate score.
With the group-stage draw approaching, Mokwena and Barker can now turn their attention to the bigger challenge: competing against Africa’s established heavyweights and translating their strong qualifying campaigns into a serious run at the continental title.
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