Five time winners Al-Ahly were the only team to have sewn up their place in the last four going into the final set of fixtures, with all seven remaining sides still in contention should results go their way. It is that tight.

After five games Group A currently looks like this:

Dynamos have carved a reputation for themselves as giantkillers in this season´s Champions League, done so by knocking out defending champions Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia, and a win over Zamalek would eliminate another pre-tournament favourite, sending the Zimbabwean outfit into the semi-finals at the same time. Just last week Dynamos´ chances of making the last four looked increasingly slim. On the back of three straight defeats they were struggling to overcome ASEC Mimosas in Abidjan and appeared to be going out, but a Philip Marafu double, the second deep in stoppage time, handed the club a crucial 2-1 win and a welcome lifeline.

Zamalek, five time winners of the African Champions League, have failed to win away from home since the preliminary rounds of the competition back in February, and go to Zimbabwe knowing that record must change if they are to advance any further. They can qualify if they beat Dynamos and ASEC fail to take all three points from Al-Ahly.

Already qualified, Al-Ahly may well be tempted by some mischief in their game with ASEC Mimosas. A win for the Ivorians would all but eliminate Al-Ahly´s bitter rivals Zamalek, and with coach Manuel Jose promising to rest key players in order to free them from suspension his side might just ease off a notch in order to hinder the enemy´s progress.

With this in mind it is perhaps curious that CAF do not oblige both group matches to be played simultaneously; Al-Ahly and ASEC play after Zamalek and will already know the result.

Nonetheless it remains a mammoth task for ASEC Mimosas if they are to win in Cairo – only two African sides have ever beaten Al-Ahly on their own turf.

Al-Hilal

The group remains wide open though. Should Cotonsport, formidable at home, manage to beat Enyimba they will leapfrog both TP Mazembe and the Nigerians into first place, eliminating the Congolese outfit. This would also mean they avoid a semi-final clash with current favourites Al-Ahly.

A win for Enyimba however would relegate the Cameroonians to the scrapheap, allowing TP Mazembe to sneak in and qualify. Cotonsport´s inferior goal difference is also significant. A draw is no good for them. They must win.

Enyimba beat Cotonsport 2-0 when they last met in Nigeria, with the tournament´s top scorer Stephen Worgu getting himself on the scoresheet. He has thirteen goals and is by far the leading marksman this year. Cotonsport, a tough, physical side looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time in their history, will have to keep the tricky striker quiet if they are to triumph.

Followers of African football will be in for a treat this weekend therefore as the Champions League spices up nicely.