2018–19 CAF Champions League group stage

The 2018–19 CAF Champions League group stage were played from 11 January to 16 March 2019.[1] A total of 16 teams competed in the group stage to decide the eight places in the knockout stage of the 2018–19 CAF Champions League.[2]

2018–19 CAF Champions League group stage
Dates11 January – 16 March 2019

Draw

The draw for the group stage was held on 28 December 2018, 19:00 CAT (UTC+2), at the Nile Ritz-Carlton in Cairo, Egypt.[3][4] The 16 teams, including the title holders, Espérance de Tunis, and the 15 winners of the first round of qualifying, were drawn into four groups of four.[5]

The teams were seeded by their performances in the CAF competitions for the previous five seasons (CAF 5-Year Ranking points shown in parentheses). Each group contained one team from each of Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3, and Pot 4, and each team was drawn into one of the positions in their group.

Pot Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4
Teams

Format

In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the quarter-finals of the knockout stage.

Tiebreakers

The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations III. 20 & 21):[2]

  1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  5. If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
  6. Goal difference in all group matches;
  7. Goals scored in all group matches;
  8. Away goals scored in all group matches;
  9. Drawing of lots.

Schedule

The schedule of each matchday was as follows (matches scheduled in midweek in italics).[1] Effective from the Champions League group stage, weekend matches were played on Fridays and Saturdays while midweek matches were played on Tuesdays, with some exceptions. Kick-off times were also fixed at 13:00 (Saturdays and Tuesdays only), 16:00 and 19:00 GMT.[6]

Matchday Dates Matches
Matchday 1 11–12 January 2019 Team 1 vs. Team 4, Team 2 vs. Team 3
Matchday 2 18–19 January 2019 Team 3 vs. Team 1, Team 4 vs. Team 2
Matchday 3 1–2 February 2019 Team 4 vs. Team 3, Team 1 vs. Team 2
Matchday 4 12 February 2019 Team 3 vs. Team 4, Team 2 vs. Team 1
Matchday 5 8–9 March 2019 Team 4 vs. Team 1, Team 3 vs. Team 2
Matchday 6 15–16 March 2019 Team 1 vs. Team 3, Team 2 vs. Team 4

Groups

Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification WAC MSD LOB ASE
1 Wydad Casablanca 6 3 1 2 8 6 +2 10[lower-alpha 1] Quarter-finals — 1–0 0–0 5–2
2 Mamelodi Sundowns 6 3 1 2 9 5 +4 10[lower-alpha 1] 2–1 — 3–0 3–1
3 Lobi Stars 6 2 1 3 4 6 −2 7[lower-alpha 2] 0–1 2–1 — 2–0
4 ASEC Mimosas 6 2 1 3 6 10 −4 7[lower-alpha 2] 2–0 0–0 1–0 —
Source: CAF
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. Head-to-head away goals scored: Wydad Casablanca 1, Mamelodi Sundowns 0.
  2. Head-to-head goal difference: Lobi Stars +1, ASEC Mimosas –1.
Lobi Stars 2–1 Mamelodi Sundowns
 Report
Referee: Gehad Grisha (Egypt)
Wydad Casablanca 5–2 ASEC Mimosas
 Report
Referee: Maguette N'Diaye (Senegal)
ASEC Mimosas 1–0 Lobi Stars
 Report
Mamelodi Sundowns 2–1 Wydad Casablanca
 Report
Referee: Hélder Martins de Carvalho (Angola)
Mamelodi Sundowns 3–1 ASEC Mimosas
 Report
Referee: Sadok Selmi (Tunisia)
Lobi Stars 0–1 Wydad Casablanca
Report
Referee: Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)
ASEC Mimosas 0–0 Mamelodi Sundowns
Report
Referee: Youssef Essrayri (Tunisia)
Wydad Casablanca 0–0 Lobi Stars
Report
ASEC Mimosas 2–0 Wydad Casablanca
 Report
Referee: Louis Hakizimana (Rwanda)
Mamelodi Sundowns 3–0 Lobi Stars
 Report
Lobi Stars 2–0 ASEC Mimosas
  • Sikiru  2', 39'
 Report
Referee: Haythem Guirat (Tunisia)
Wydad Casablanca 1–0 Mamelodi Sundowns
 Report
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (Burundi)

Group B
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification EST HOR ORL PLA
1 Espérance de Tunis 6 4 2 0 9 2 +7 14 Quarter-finals — 2–0 2–0 2–0
2 Horoya 6 3 1 2 6 7 −1 10 1–1 — 2–1 2–0
3 Orlando Pirates 6 1 3 2 6 6 0 6 0–0 3–0 — 2–2
4 FC Platinum 6 0 2 4 3 9 −6 2 1–2 0–1 0–0 —
Source: CAF
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Horoya 1–1 Espérance de Tunis
 Report
Referee: El Fadil Mohamed (Sudan)
FC Platinum 0–0 Orlando Pirates
Report
Referee: Jean Claude Ishimwe (Rwanda)
Espérance de Tunis 2–0 FC Platinum
 Report
Attendance: 0[note 1]
Orlando Pirates 3–0 Horoya
 Report
Referee: Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)
FC Platinum 0–1 Horoya
Report
  • Assoko  51' (pen.)
Espérance de Tunis 2–0 Orlando Pirates
 Report
Attendance: 0[note 1]
Referee: Thierry Nkurunziza (Burundi)
Horoya 2–0 FC Platinum
 Report
Orlando Pirates 2–2 FC Platinum
 Report
  • Tigere  27'
  • Pavari  37'
Espérance de Tunis 2–0 Horoya
 Report
Referee: Hélder Martins de Carvalho (Angola)
FC Platinum 1–2 Espérance de Tunis
 Report
Referee: Joshua Bondo (Botswana)
Horoya 2–1 Orlando Pirates
 Report

Group C
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification TPM CSC CA ISM
1 TP Mazembe 6 3 2 1 13 4 +9 11 Quarter-finals — 2–0 8–0 2–0
2 CS Constantine 6 3 1 2 8 6 +2 10[lower-alpha 1] 3–0 — 0–1 3–2
3 Club Africain 6 3 1 2 5 9 −4 10[lower-alpha 1] 0–0 0–1 — 1–0
4 Ismaily[lower-alpha 2] 6 0 2 4 4 11 −7 2 1–1 1–1 0–3 (awd.)[lower-alpha 3] —
Source: CAF
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. Goal difference in all group matches: CS Constantine +2, Club Africain –4.
  2. The CAF announced on 23 January 2019 that Ismaily were disqualified for aggressive fans behaviors, including consistently throwing rocks and water bottles on the assistant referee and the away fans, and other incidents at their home match against Club Africain on 18 January 2019.[8][9] All results of matches played by Ismaily were annulled and not taken into consideration according to the regulations. However, following an appeal by Ismaily, the CAF decided on 10 February 2019 to reinstate Ismaily to the competition.[10]
  3. On 19 February 2019, following the suspension of the match involving Ismaily and Club Africain due to the aggressive behaviors Ismaily fans shown during the match, CAF decided to consider the match forfeited by Ismaily with a result of 3–0 in favour of Club Africain.[11] The match was originally suspended on the 83rd minute with the score 1–2 for Club Africain.
Club Africain 0–1 CS Constantine
Report
Attendance: 17,000
TP Mazembe 2–0 Ismaily
  • Ushindi  83'
  • Mondeko  86'
 Report
Referee: Rédouane Jiyed (Morocco)
Ismaily 0–3
Awarded		 Club Africain
 Report
Attendance: 13,000
CS Constantine 3–0 TP Mazembe
 Report
Referee: Noureddine El Jaafari (Morocco)
TP Mazembe 8–0 Club Africain
 Report
Club Africain 0–0 TP Mazembe
Report
Attendance: 25;000
Referee: Joshua Bondo (Botswana)
Ismaily 1–1 CS Constantine
 Report
Attendance: 0[note 3]
CS Constantine 3–2 Ismaily
 Report
Referee: El Fadil Mohamed (Sudan)
Ismaily 1–1 TP Mazembe
 Report
Attendance: 0[note 3]
Referee: Maguette N'Diaye (Senegal)
CS Constantine 0–1 Club Africain
Report
Referee: Rédouane Jiyed (Morocco)
TP Mazembe 2–0 CS Constantine
 Report
Club Africain 1–0 Ismaily
 Report
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: El Fadil Mohamed (Sudan)

Group D
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AHL SIM JSS VIT
1 Al-Ahly 6 3 1 2 11 3 +8 10 Quarter-finals — 5–0 3–0 2–0
2 Simba 6 3 0 3 6 13 −7 9 1–0 — 3–0 2–1
3 JS Saoura 6 2 2 2 6 9 −3 8 1–1 2–0 — 1–0
4 AS Vita Club 6 2 1 3 9 7 +2 7 1–0 5–0 2–2 —
Source: CAF
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Simba 3–0 JS Saoura
 Report
Referee: Joshua Bondo (Botswana)
Al-Ahly 2–0 AS Vita Club
 Report
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Sadok Selmi (Tunisia)
JS Saoura 1–1 Al-Ahly
 Report
Attendance: 20,000
AS Vita Club 5–0 Simba
 Report
Referee: Mahamadou Keita (Mali)
AS Vita Club 2–2 JS Saoura
 Report
Referee: Hélder Martins de Carvalho (Angola)
Al-Ahly 5–0 Simba
 Report
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Maguette N'Diaye (Senegal)
Simba 1–0 Al-Ahly
 Report
Referee: Mahmood Ali Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)
JS Saoura 1–0 AS Vita Club
 Report
Referee: Louis Hakizimana (Rwanda)
AS Vita Club 1–0 Al-Ahly
  • Kisinda  84'
 Report
JS Saoura 2–0 Simba
 Report
Referee: Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)
Al-Ahly 3–0 JS Saoura
 Report
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Sadok Selmi (Tunisia)
Simba 2–1 AS Vita Club
 Report
Referee: Noureddine El Jaafari (Morocco)

Notes
  1. The Espérance de Tunis v FC Platinum and Espérance de Tunis v Orlando Pirates matches were played behind closed doors due to crowd trouble during the Espérance de Tunis v Al-Ahly match (second leg of the 2018 CAF Champions League Final).[7]
  2. The Ismaily v CS Constantine on Matchday 3, originally scheduled on 1 February 2019, 18:00 local time, was re-scheduled to 23 February 2019, 18:00 local time, after the reinstatement of Ismaily.[12]
  3. The Ismaily v CS Constantine and Ismaily v TP Mazembe matches were played behind closed doors due to crowd trouble during the Ismaily v Club Africain match.[13]
  4. The CS Constantine v Ismaily on Matchday 4, originally scheduled on 12 February 2019, 17:00 local time, was re-scheduled to 2 March 2019, 17:00 local time, after the reinstatement of Ismaily.[12]

References
  1. "Interclubs competition calendar; seasons 2018/19, 2019/20 & 2020/21" (PDF). CAF.
  2. "CAF Champions League regulations" (PDF). CAF.
  3. "Draw Procedure for CAF Interclubs 2018/19". CAF. 28 December 2018.
  4. "African champs Esperance draw Horoya, Pirates, Platinum". CAF. 28 December 2018.
  5. "Draw Procedure of CAF Total Champions League 2018/19 - Group Matches" (PDF). CAF.
  6. "Friday & Saturday for Champions League, Sunday for Confederation Cup". CAF. 17 April 2018.
  7. "DECISIONS OF THE DISCIPLINARY COUNCIL OF 13th JANUARY 2019" (PDF). CAF. 15 January 2019.
  8. @CAF_Online (23 January 2019). "ANNOUNCEMENT..Organizing committee descision: Ismaily SC eliminated from #TotalCAFCL 2019" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. "Ismaily disqualified". CAF. 24 January 2019.
  10. "DECISIONS OF THE APPEAL BOARD OF 10th FEBRUARY 2019" (PDF). CAF. 10 February 2019.
  11. "DECISIONS OF THE DISCIPLINARY BOARD OF 17TH FEBRUARY 2019" (PDF). CAF. 17 February 2019.
  12. "Schedule of Day 3 & 4 matches of Ismaily". CAF. 13 February 2019.
  13. "DECISIONS OF THE DISCIPLINARY BOARD OF 17TH FEBRUARY 2019" (PDF). CAF. 17 February 2019.
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