Ben Malango names Zamalek and Berkane as favourites
Congolese striker Ben Malango has tipped Egyptian giants Zamalek and Morocco’s RS Berkane as the leading contenders for the 2024/25 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup title.
Malango, a two-time winner of the competition, was one of the assistants for the draw of the quarter-finals and semi-finals held on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at the beIN SPORTS studios in Doha, Qatar. He was joined by Algerian football legend Rabah Madjer for the event.
When asked about his favourites for the title, the Qatar Sports Club forward was clear in his selection: "For me, I can give the chance to Berkane and Zamalek because they have a lot of experience in this competition," he stated.
The draw has set up a thrilling set of fixtures, with defending champions Zamalek facing South African debutants Stellenbosch in the quarter-finals.
RS Berkane, who won the tournament in 2020 and 2022 and were runners-up last season, will take on Ivorian powerhouse ASEC Mimosas.
An all-Algerian clash between CS Constantine and USM Alger, the 2023 champions, adds another layer of intrigue, while Egyptian side Al Masry will go up against Tanzania’s Simba SC in the last quarter-final fixture.
The semi-final matchups will see the winner of the RS Berkane vs. ASEC Mimosas tie face the victor of the USM Alger vs. CS Constantine encounter.
The other last-four battle will feature the winner of Zamalek vs. Stellenbosch against the winner of Al Masry vs. Simba SC.
Malango also took the opportunity to emphasize the significance of CAF interclub competitions, highlighting their role in the growth of African players.
"African competitions provide a lot of opportunities. I have known many African players who have played in African cups who are now playing in the European Champions League. The Confederation Cup and the CAF Champions League are competitions that we will take very seriously," he said.
Malango’s opinion carries weight, given his impressive track record in the competition. He won the CAF Confederation Cup in 2017 with TP Mazembe and again in 2021 with Raja Casablanca.
He was also the tournament’s top scorer on both occasions, underlining his pedigree in African club football.
With the knockout stage now set, the battle for the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup title intensifies, with the final scheduled to be played later this year.