Ethiopian Premier League (EPL) champions St. George are poised to advance to the quarterfinals at the 2017 CAF Champions League after defeating DR Congo side AC Leopards 1-0 last week. The return match is to be held on Sunday, March 19, 2017 at the Addis Ababa Stadium.
Mintesnot Adane scored the lone goal for the Horsemen at the 28th minute mark.
Mintesnot was later sent off, which means he will miss the next match. Meanwhile, his team managed to cling onto to their slender advantage.
The winner from the two legs will progress to the CAF Champions League group stages. St. George will become the first Ethiopian club ever if they manage to reach the quarter-finals stage in the CAF Champions League.
“Our full squad are ready for the match. We are not complacent with the away result. Otherwise, we may repeat the previous mistake,” St. George assistant coach Zerihun Shengeta told The Reporter.
Meanwhile, because of schedule clashes, week 19 EPL match between St. George and Fasil City was postponed. If St. George manages to reach the quarter finals, it will earn USD 550,000.
In another Champions League fixture, 5-time champions TP Mazembe of the DR Congo were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Zimbabwe’s CAPS United at the dreaded Stade Mazembe.
Starting from this season, the group stage will be expanded from eight to 16 teams, divided into four groups of four. According to these changes, the total number of matches to be played in the tournament will increase by 16 matches due to the extra 8 teams involved at the group stage. The winners of the 2017 CAF Champions League will qualify for the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and also enjoy the right to play against the winners of the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup in the 2018 CAF Super Cup.
