CAF Champions League
MOROCCO’S RAJA CASABLANCA WINS FIRST CAF SUPER CUP OUTSIDE AFRICA
Moroccan side Raja Club Athletic made amends for their poor season at the continental level by beating Esperance of Tunisia 2-1 on Friday in Doha, Qatar, to win their second CAF Super Cup title.
Following their failure to defend the CAF Confederation Cup title, Raja captain Badr Benoun’s 65th minute back-heel strike decided the match seven minutes after Esperance substitute Youcef Belaili had canceled Abdelilah Hafidi’s first half lead.
The feat saw the Moroccans rewrite the script in the one-off match which has been dominated by the winners of the premier continental club championship.
In the last 20 editions, it was yet another Moroccan side Maghreb Fes who last replicated the feat, again at the expense of Esperance in 2012. It is the third defeat suffered by the reigning African champions, the other in 1999 to Ivorian giants ASEC Mimosas. The only triumph of the Blood and Gold was in 1995.
The first ever CAF Super Cup played outside Africa was surprisingly witnessed by a near capacity crowd at the Al Gharafa Stadium in the Qatari capital.
Raja dominated the first half capitalising on their better start with Soufiane Rahimi creating a lot of problems for the Esperance backline. Hafidi broke the broke the deadlock on 22 minutes, controlling a Mahmoud Benhalib pass before volleying past Esperance goalkeeper Rami Jeridi.
Midway, Rahimi missed a chance to solidify the lead of the Moroccans, as Jeridi had the better of him in a one-on-one situation.
Minutes later, Esperance forward Taha Khenissi missed a sitter to level matters but Raja goalie Anas Zniti saved the situation of for the Green Eagles.
Esperance coach Moine Chaabani brought on Youcef Belaili and Iheb Mbarki after recess, and it paid dividends leading to the equalizer on 57 minutes. Mbarki squared Belaili who curled past Zniti to even the score.
Benoun led by example with a back-heel from a goalmouth action from a Sand Masaud assist to decide the match.
Esperance’s search for the equalizer remained fruitless as Raja cruised to their second title since 2000, when they beat Africa Sports of Cote d’Ivoire.
Nigeria’s sole survivor into the second round of the CAF Champions League, Enugu Rangers have crashed out of the competition. They lost 3-1 to Angola’s Sagrada Esperança this Sunday in Luanda.
The aggregate scoreline is 3-2 as Rangers last weekend won their home game 1-0. Sagrada Esperança opened the game with offensive and got their first goal barely six minutes into the game when Alexandre Fernando found the back of the net.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 33rd minute through Mussa. But four minutes later, Enugu Rangers reduced the tally to 2-1 to carry an away goal advantage into half time.
Jamie Pimpao got the much needed goal for Angola in the 67th minute to seal the hopes of Rangers.
Sagrada Esperança will now go into next month’s draw for the draw of the group stage.
CAF Champions League 2nd Preliminary Round action resumed on Saturday, 14 September following the resumption of the Africa’s premium club competition on Friday.
It was mostly the travelling teams that secured victories away from home on Saturday, who put themselves in fairly comfortable situations ahead of the return leg next week.
Orlando Pirates had a mental obstacle to overcome in Gaborone against Jwaneng Galaxy, having to face the same side that eliminated them in the same phase of the competition last season.
The former champions secured a 2-0 victory in Gaborone to put themselves in a comfortable position ahead of the return leg next weekend.
Five-time champions, TP Mazembe were away to Red Arrows in Zambia where they also put two past their hosts ahead of the return leg in Lubumbashi.
Mamelodi Sundowns, who played their away match in the comfort of their home stadium against Swaziland’s Mbabane Swallows made use of home ground advantage with a comfortable 4-0 win over their neighbours.
Tanzanian champions, Young Africans secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over CBE SA of Rwanda as Tanzanian giants continue to chase a continental title.
It was a rather tough outing for Moroccan outfit, AS FAR when they travelled to Sudan to face Al Merrikh. A highly entertaining encounter concluded with a 2-2 draw, ahead of the return leg in Morocco.
Egyptian side, Pyramids FC also played out to a draw when they were held 1-1 by APR FC in Rwanda.
Burkina Faso side, Association Sportive des Douanes out up an impressive showing when they edged Algeria’s CR Belouizdad by 1-0.
The first leg of the 2nd Preliminary Round concludes on Sunday, with five interesting encounters lined up, including reigning champions Al Ahly kick starting their title defense away from home.
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Results & Fixtures:
Friday, 13 September
Enugu Rangers 1 – 0 Sagrada Esperanca
Monastir 0 – 1 MC Alger
Saturday, 14 September
CBE SA 0 – 1 Young Africans
Red Arrows 0 – 2 TP Mazembe
Al-Merrikh 2 – 2 AS FAR
Jwaneng Galaxy FC 0 – 2 Orlando Pirates FC
Maniema Union 2 – 1 Petro de Luanda
Djoliba 1 – 0 ASKO
Douanes 1 – 0 CR Belouizdad
Sunday, 15 September
12h00 GMT | Gor Mahia vs Al Ahly
15h00 GMT | Samartex vs Raja CA
16h00 GMT | San Pedro vs Al-Hilal
16h00 GMT | Dekedaha vs ES Tunis
19h00 GMT | Stade d’Abidjan vs Milo FC
The return leg fixtures of the 2nd Preliminary stage will be played between 20 – 22 September.
-CAF
Enugu Rangers’ patchy form in the CAF Champions League continues as they struggled to beat visiting Angola’s Sagrada Esperance 1-0 in the first leg match played at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
It was in similar fashion that they played against Union Sportive de Zilimadjou of Comoros Islands who they beat 2-1 over two legs in Uyo.
Rangers’ lone goal was scored by Kazeem Ogunleye in the 80th minute.
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