The 2024/25 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League has entered what is commonly referred to as the business end of the competition with only eight teams remaining to compete in the Quarterfinals of the competition.
Orlando Pirates have touched down Algiers ahead of their crucial first-leg clash against Algerian giants MC Alger.
It will be the first meeting between these two teams face each other in any form of continental football.
So, who are MC Alger and what can Jose Riveiro’s men expect when the two Titans lock horns at the Stade du Juillet 1962 on Tuesday night? Orlandopiratesfc.com takes a deep dive into trying to answer that question.
Current Form (Last Five Games) : L, W, W, W, D
MC Alger sits atop of the Algerian Ligue 1 table with 41 points after twenty games played. Head Coach Khaled Ben Yahia and his men have been dominating the domestic competition that has seen them lose only once in the competition and that was as far back as November 2024 where they lost 3-1 to CR Belouizdad.
More recently, MC Alger are undefeated in their last four competitive matches – losing only once in the Algerian Cup against that team again CR Belouizdad.
Of their last five competitive matches, the Algerians have scored nine goals and conceded five times. With their last match coming played on March 15, the hosts have been involved with some friendly matches in preparation for Tuesday nights’ encounter.
For their final preparation match, MC Alger won 2-1 against Paradou AC, with goals coming from Mohamed Bangoura and Kamel Hamidi.
Water-tight Defence
When it comes to this years’ TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, MC Alger are number one when it comes to least goals conceded. The defensive duo of Ayoub Abdellaoui and Ayoub Ghezala has only been breached twice in the competition, proving a hard nut to crack – with only Al Hilal able to score against them. Whereas TP Mazembe and Young Africans played over 180 minutes of football each without finding the back of the net.
Over and above the qualities that Abdellaoui and Ghezala bring to the Algerian outfits defence, what differentiates them from most teams in this years’ competition is how they defend as a unit. The likes of Mohamed Benkhemassa and Akram Bouras do a great job in protecting the back four.
Key Players
Mohamed Halaïmia: Reda is a modern-day wing back in that he is equally proficient in defence as he is in attack. The 28-year-old has scored 5 goals in 18 games for his club so far this season. He is the club’s top goal scorer and not only that but when it comes to set pieces – especially corners, Reda can use both his left and right foot with equal ability.
Zakaria Naidji: Is the heart of the MC Alger team. He has energy to run throughout the match. Involved in both attack and defensive duties. He ranks number one in his team and third overall in the Champions League in terms of Chances Created per game (2.9 per 90)
Notable Mention – Mohamed Bangoura: The young striker from Guinea is a worthy mention in players to watch out for on Tuesday. The 20-year-old who was recently signed from Guinean club Hafia, has hit the ground running at his new club and he looks to have added a different dimension to the MC Alger attack.
Quick One-Two
- The club was formed in 1921 and although they are commonly known as MC Alger or MCA, the club’s full name is Mouloudia club d’Alger.
- MC Alger was the first Algerian club to lift the CAF Champions Cup in 1976.
- The home stadium of MC Alger is Ali Pointe Stadium (40 000-seater) however for the CAF Champions League they have been using the Stade du Juillet 1962 (also known as the 5 July 1962 Stadium (65 000-seater).
- MC Alger rank 3rd in terms of the number of shots that they limit opponents. On average, they limit teams to 9.5 shots per game. ES Tunis are number one with 8.3 shots, followed by Young Africans with 9.3 shots per game.
- MC Alger ranks 1st when it comes to limiting opponents to shots on target with an average of 2.17 shots on target per game
SOURCED FROM THE ORLANDO PIRATES WEBSITE.
