MC Alger hold firm to book TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group berth
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MC Alger reached the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League after a goalless draw with Colombe of Cameroon in Algiers on Sunday night.
The result, paired with last week’s 1-1 draw away, saw Mouloudia progress after the tie finished level on aggregate. It returns the Algerian giants to the main phase of Africa’s premier club competition with renewed confidence and ambition.
Playing at Ali Amar Stadium, MC Alger set the early tempo and pushed for an opener that would have settled nerves. The hosts carried the initiative for long spells, working the ball into good areas but lacking precision with the final pass and finish.
Colombe’s compact back line and alert goalkeeper repeatedly smothered danger, forcing the Algerian champions to recycle possession and probe for openings that rarely materialised.
As the match wore on, Colombe grew into the contest and attempted to slow the rhythm, capitalising on moments when Mouloudia’s play became rushed.
The Cameroonian visitors looked to impose their own tempo and threaten on transitions, but they too struggled to create clear chances.
A stop-start second half brought a flurry of fouls and cautions as tension rose, yet neither side could find a decisive moment.
Despite a performance that fell short of its fluent best, MC Alger achieved the primary objective: secure progression and a place among the continent’s elite.
The club now turns its focus to the draw and a campaign aimed at going deep in the competition, 49 years after lifting their historic first African title in 1976.
Colombe exit after a respectable two-leg showing that included an organised display at home and stubborn resistance in Algiers.
MC Alger, meanwhile, will represent Algeria in the group stage alongside JS Kabylie as both clubs seek to carry national hopes into the latter rounds
