CAF Champions League
AGAIN, ZAMALEK OVERCOME ESPERANCE
A couple of weeks after defeating them 3-1 to claim the 2020 CAF Super Cup title, Egyptian giants Zamalek confirmed their supremacy over Tunisian counterparts and defending champions Esperance, beating them with an identical score at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday evening in the 2019-20 CAF Champions League quarterfinals first leg.
Abdelraouf Benguit gave the visitors the lead after 27 minutes, only for Mohamed Ounnajem to equalize four minutes later.
Achraf Bencharki put Zamalek ahead after 72 minutes, and deep into injury time, Mahmoud Alaa made it 3-1 for Zamalek, scoring from the spot to give the five times champions Zamalek a vital home win.
Esperance finished the game with ten men after Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane received his marching orders for protesting right after Zamalek’s winner.
The return leg takes place in Radis next Friday with the aggregate winner reaching the semifinals.
Against what was expected, Esperance started the game on high note and could have taken the lead immediately from the kickoff. Hamdou Elhouni received the ball inside the hosts’ area and sent a shot that was stopped by Zamalek’s goalkeeper Mohamed Abo Gabal.
The visitors continued having the upper hand, and could have taken the lead after six minutes. Once again it was Elhouni who made use of Ferjani Sassi’s wrong back pass, but his effort that missed the target narrowly.
And it was Esperance who broke the deadlock after 27 minutes. Elhouni received the ball just outside Zamalek’s penalty area, and found Benguit who sent a first time shot that wronged Abo Gabal to give the holders a deserved lead.
But Zamalek immediately responded and restored parity four minutes later. Ounnajem controlled the ball and sent a scorcher from long range that Esperance keeper Ben Chrifia could do nothing about.
The hosts could have taken the lead eight minutes before the break when defender Mahmoud Alaa’s header kissed the crossbar with Ben Chrifia relieved.
Esperance had the half’s final chance when Mohamed Ben Romdhane sent a shot that was deflected to a corner, as both sides went to the break with 1-1 draw.
The visitors had the second half’s first chance when substitute Khalil Chemam sent a long-range effort that was saved by stretching Abo Gabal.
Achraf Bencharki waived his way through his markers and tried to find the back of the net, but for Chamseddine Dhouadi who stopped the ball after 63 minutes. Ben Chrifia was up to Mostafa Mohamed’s low shot after 68 minutes to keep it tied.
And the hosts finally took the lead after 72 minutes. Mohamed Abdel Shafy’s cross was controlled by Bencharki who sent a shot from close range to give Zamalek the lead.
Esperance had to deal another blow when Ben Romdhane was sent off immediately after the goal for protesting.
Bencharki could have doubled their tally four minutes later but could not connect to Ahmed Sayed “Zizo”s cross from close range.
Zamalek skipper Mahmoud Abdel Razek “Shikabala” sent a shot seconds after entering the field but saw his effort wide after 82 minutes.
And deep into injury time Bencharki had a penalty given for a foul inside the area.
From the spot, Alaa sent Ben Chrifia to the wrong direction to give his side a commanding lead before the return leg next weekend.
-CAF
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.
NFF Communication director unfolds 20 Points of a 20-hour ordeal on Libyan soil
African football legends, Adebayor and Aubameyang condemn Libya’s treatment of Super Eagles
BREAKING! CAF wades into the Libya-Nigeria Airport episode
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
Players boycott Libyan national team
-
AFCON4 days ago
Billiat’s penalty seals Zimbabwe’s 1-0 win over Namibia
-
AFCON1 week ago
Eguavoen unfolds Super Eagles’ squad for back-to-back duel with Libya
-
AFCON6 days ago
Facts & Figures as AFCON 2025 qualifiers enter Matchday 3
-
AFCON6 days ago
AFCON 2025 in Morocco: Everything you need to know
-
AFCON5 days ago
Libya’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri alleges poor treatment in Nigeria
-
Uncategorized7 days ago
CAF compels Kwasi Appiah to step down from Ghana FA
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
Fastest World Cup final scorer is dead!