Young Africans hit three away as Vipers seize early TotalEneriges CAF Champions League advantage

The 2025/26 season of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League got underway on Friday with three first-leg ties setting the tone for a busy opening weekend. 

Young Africans issued the loudest statement, winning 3–0 away to Wiliete in Angola. Vipers SC took a valuable 1–0 success at African Stars, while Dadjè of Benin kept Al Ahly Tripoli at arm’s length in a goalless draw. 

More first legs matches follow onm Saturday and Sunday across the continent before next weekend’s returns decide who progresses to October’s second preliminary round.

Young Africans, last season’s Tanzanian champions, produced a measured away performance in Benguela to put one foot in the next round.

They struck first on 32 minutes when Aziz Andabwile finished from close range after sustained pressure down the right.

The visitors then controlled the tempo and struck twice late on to underline their superiority: John Edmund guided in a neat effort on 72 minutes before Prince Dube curled home an 81st-minute third.

A clean sheet and three away goals leave Yanga firmly in charge before the return leg in Dar es Salaam.

In Namibia, Vipers SC claimed an early advantage in a cagey contest against African Stars.

The Ugandans were in front after just 14 minutes when defender Hillary Mukundane stole in at a set-piece to prod beyond the goalkeeper.

From there, Vipers settled into a disciplined shape, keeping the hosts at arm’s length and managing the game well in the second period.

African Stars pushed after the interval but found little space between the lines, leaving themselves with work to do in Kitende.

Benin’s Dadjè and Libya’s Al Ahly Tripoli remain finely poised after a tight 0–0 in Cotonou. Chances were scarce as both sides prioritised control in midfield.

The visitors will be satisfied to take the tie home level, but Dadjè’s organisation and intensity suggest a tricky night awaits in Tripoli.

With the stakes high and margins thin in these early rounds, small details in next weekend’s returns could decide the outcome.

This preliminary phase is the first step on a long road that runs through October’s second round to the group stage, which begins on 21 November.

Several heavyweights, including Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns, await at the next hurdle, while the defending champions Pyramids and Rwanda’s APR join later.

For Friday’s winners, the brief is clear: complete the job next week.

For the sides trailing, the mission is to reset quickly and make home advantage count when the competition resumes with the second legs between 26–28 September.