Former African champion, Hlompho Kekana breaks down continental success formula

Former Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana knows the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League better than most.

He lifted the continent’s most prestigious club competition trophy in 2016 and played through some of the most demanding nights on the continent, which is why his insights into what it actually takes to escape the group stages remain as relevant as ever.

With the group stages of the 2025/26 edition of the competition set to get underway, on Friday, the retired midfield general reflected on what separates the teams who advance from the ones who falter.

"I must say, in a group stage, there's no formula. How you come out of the group stage is totally up to you. It comes back to the preparation, it comes back to how you see the group. Some matches in the Champions League, you cannot win them, you know, as you would wish, but you must make sure that how you prepare is something that you know, it will work on your favour. And there's points that are there, and I believe in the Champions League, if you want to have a good Champions League, make sure that your home matches you win them” said the former African champion.

Kekana’s experiences mirror the reality of the competition where teams often thrive not because they play the best football, but because they manage the mental and emotional demands of travelling across Africa, adapting to conditions, and winning key moments.

 The former midfielder emphasised that the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League is brutally unique, a stage where form and even star quality can quickly become irrelevant.

"I just know that the CAF Champions League is different to any competition in the continent. You don't play the CAF Champions League with talent, you don't play Champions League with form. If you remember, Kaizer Chiefs that went to a Champions League final. And you'll realise that this is the Champions League, you don't play it with form. It's how you want it, it's how you want to be resilient in some moments”, concluded Kekana.

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League action officially gets underway this Friday, with Sudanese side, Al Hilal taking on Algeria’s MC Alger at 13h00 GMT.

For a full list of TotalEnergies CAF Champions League fixtures, CLICK HERE