Kakar TotalEnergies CAF Interclub ta fara wannan karshen mako, inda Mamelodi Sundowns da USM Alger ke ɗaukar nauyin tsammanin magoya baya a matsayin masu riƙe da kofuna a TotalEnergies CAF Champions League da TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup bi da bi. Kulob-kulob ɗin biyu sun shiga gasar bayan wucewa kyauta ta Zagaye na Farko na Farawa — amma tarihi yana nuna yawan wahalar da ake fama da ita wajen kiyaye kambun nahiya.

Masu riƙe da kofin Champions League: juriya mai ban mamaki

Duba kan kamfen ɗin kare kofin 10 na ƙarshe a cikin TotalEnergies CAF Champions League — daga 2017 zuwa kakar 2025/26 — ta nuna wani tsari mai ban mamaki. Kowane mai riƙe da kofin ya kai aƙalla matakin kusa-da-ƙarshe a kakar da ta biyo baya. Shida sun ci gaba zuwa matakin ƙarshe-ƙarshe-biyu, biyar sun dawo zuwa ƙarshe-ƙarshe, kuma uku sun sami nasarar kiyaye kofin.

Kulob na farko da ya kare kofin Champions League a wannan lokaci shi ne Espérance Sportive de Tunis. Bayan lashe kofin 2018 da nasara a taƙaitaccen tarba kan Al Ahly, Espérance ta dawo kakar mai zuwa ta kiyaye kofinta kan Wydad Casablanca a gajartacciyar gasar 2018/19.

Al Ahly ta cimma wannan nasara sau biyu tun daga lokacin. Babban kulob ɗin Masar ya lashe kofin 2019/20 kan Zamalek sannan ya fatattaki Kaizer Chiefs da 3-0 a ƙarshe-ƙarshe na 2020/21, yana zama zakara a lokuta biyu a jere. Ƙoƙarinsa na tarihi na sami kofin uku a jere ya tsaya a ƙarshe-ƙarshe na 2021/22, inda Wydad ya ci shi da 2-0.

Al Ahly sai ta fara wata jerin nasara, ta doke Wydad da 3-2 a taƙaita tarba a ƙarshe-ƙarshe na 2022/23 tana bin hakan da nasarar 1-0 a taƙaita kan Espérance a 2023/24. Neman kofin uku a jere a karo na biyu ya tsaya bayan Sundowns ta kawar da ita a matakin ƙarshe-ƙarshe-biyu na 2024/25.

Wydad ma kusan ta cimma haka bayan nasararta ta 2021/22, ta kai ƙarshe-ƙarshe na shekara ta gaba kafin ta sha kashi ga Al Ahly. Kwanan nan, Pyramids FC ta zama ta goma a jere daga cikin masu riƙe da kofin da suka kai aƙalla matakin kusa-da-ƙarshe kafin AS FAR ta kawar da ita da 3-2 a taƙaita.

Masu riƙe da kofin Confederation Cup: hoton da ya fi rikitarwa

Labari a cikin TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup ya fi rikitarwa. Lashe kofin ba ya tabbatar da dawowar don kare shi — zakaru huɗu a wannan lokacin shekaru 10 ɗin sun ruga zuwa TotalEnergies CAF Champions League a shekara ta gaba.

TP Mazembe ta shiga Champions League ta 2018 bayan nasararta ta Confederation Cup ta 2017, ta kai matakin kusa-da-ƙarshe kafin a kawar da ita ta hanyar manufar kwallaye a filin abokin gaba kan Primeiro de Agosto. Zamalek ta bi hanya ɗaya bayan Confederation Cup ta 2018/19, ta kai ƙarshe-ƙarshe na Champions League ta 2020/21 kafin ta sha kashi da 2-1 ga Al Ahly. Raja Casablanca ta biyo nasararta ta Confederation Cup ta 2020/21 da kamfen a Champions League, ta fadi da 3-2 a taƙaita ga Al Ahly a matakin kusa-da-ƙarshe.

Kwanan nan, RS Berkane — wadda ta lashe Confederation Cup a karo na uku a 2024/25 kuma ta sami kambun gasar Morocco a karon farko a tarihinta — ta shiga Champions League maimakon kare kofinta na Confederation Cup. Kulob ɗin ya kai matakin ƙarshe-ƙarshe-biyu a kamfen ɗin sa na farko na matakin rukuni a Champions League kafin ya sha kashi da 2-1 a taƙaita ga AS FAR.

Kowane mai riƙe da kofin Confederation Cup da ya koma Champions League a wannan lokaci ya kai aƙalla matakin kusa-da-ƙarshe. Duk da haka, daga cikin zakaru shida da suka dawo don kare Confederation Cup, ɗaya kaɗai ya yi nasara.

TP Mazembe ta kiyaye kofin a 2017, ta doke SuperSport United a ƙarshe-ƙarshe don kofuna biyu na Confederation Cup a jere. Tun daga lokacin, babu wani kulob da ya sake cimma wannan. An kawar da Raja a matakin rukuni a 2018/19, RS Berkane kuma ta sami makomar ɗaya a 2020/21. Kare kofin Berkane na gaba ya ƙare da wuri — US Monastir ta kawar da ita da 1-0 a taƙaita a zagayen Play-Off a 2022/23.

USM Alger ta je mafi nisa daga cikin masu riƙe da kofin kwanan nan, ta kai matakin ƙarshe-ƙarshe-biyu a kare kofinta ta farko a 2023/24, yayin da Zamalek ya kai matakin kusa-da-ƙarshe a kakar mai zuwa kafin Stellenbosch FC ta kawar da ita. Wannan dadaddiyar jiran wanda ya yi nasarar kare kofin Confederation Cup ita ce daidai ƙalubalen da USM Alger ke fuskanta yayin da sabon yanayi ya fara.