The finals games for the group stages of the 2018-19 CAF Champions League were played on Saturday.

Despite Uganda having no representative club in the tournament proper after Vipers were eliminated in the earlier rounds, there will be something to smile about.

Four Uganda players have managed to reach the quarter finals.

Uganda Cranes captain Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns), left back/winger Joseph Ochaya, Simba’s duo Emmanuel Okwi and Murushid Juuko are the players to achieve the feat.

Despite losing their last game – 1-0 away to Wydad Casablanca – Sundowns had already booked their ticket to the last eight. The South African club finished second below Wydad in Group A.

Needing a win to qualify on the last day, Simba squeezed through by the skin of their teeth with a hard fought 2-1 win over AS Vita Club to finish behind Al Ahly.

Ochaya’s Mazembe were 2-0 winners over CS Constantine, a club that eliminated SC Vipers. Mazembe topped group C with 11 points.

The four players are part of the Cranes final squad to face Tanzania in the final game of the AFCON qualifiers.