Stade Malien have become the first team to secure a place in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals from Group D after defeating Esperance 1-0 yesterday.
Following that victory, Stade Malien moved to 11 points and guaranteed themselves top spot in Group D, as no other team in the group can reach that tally.
Esperance and Petro Atletico each have six points, and their final group match will determine which team joins Stade Malien in the quarter-finals.
Stade Malien’s achievement was unexpected because after the group-stage draw, Simba and Esperance were widely considered the favorites to progress from the group.
In the CAF rankings, Esperance are ranked third while Simba sit fifth. Stade Malien are not even in the top 20, yet this season they have surprised many, becoming the only unbeaten team in Group D.
You could argue they have benefited from the dip in form of both Simba and Esperance, but they also possess a strong squad of their own.
Stade Malien could perform well in the next round and perhaps even reach the semi-finals if they maintain their current form.
In their final Group D match, they will travel to Dar es Salaam to face Simba on February 14 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
For Simba, it will be a chance for revenge after losing the first meeting in Mali, although the result will have no impact on the final group standings.
