CAF Champions League
CHAMPIONS’LEAGUE FINAL MATCH MEANS SO MUCH FOR NIGERIA’S JUNIOR AJAYI
The CAF Champions League 2020 final will mark a special occasion for Al Ahly’s Nigerian star Junior Ajayi, who is hoping to finally claim the coveted African title which has twice eluded him.
In 2017, Al Ahly lost to Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca 2-1 on aggregate in the decider, before injury prevented the Nigerian from taking part in the same fixture in 2018, which the Red Devils lost to Tunisia’s Esperance 4-3 on aggregate. The 24-year-old forward laments his side’s Champions League ambitions twice being thwarted in the final game.
“It was a bad time for us because coming up just short in consecutive editions isn’t good,” he said. “We’d played very well throughout both of those campaigns but didn’t perform in either final, which cost us the title.”
Having joined Al Ahly from Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien in the summer of 2016, Ajayi quickly made his mark at the Cairo-based club. He helped his side win the domestic league in his first season before scoring nine goals in his second year as they retained the title. Moreover, he scored three times en route to the Champions League final in 2017.
However, the Nigerian suffered a major blow in July 2018, when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament against Botswana’s Township Rollers in the fourth round of that year’s Champions League group stage. Ajayi, who won a bronze medal with the Super Eagles at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016, described this injury as one of his worst moments.
“Having an injury that kept me out of the game for nearly six months was one of the most frustrating moments of my career.” he said.
Did you know?
- Ajayi started out as a midfielder, then became a forward and now mostly plays on the wing.
- With Al Ahly, he has won four consecutive league titles and lifted the Egyptian Super Cup twice.
- He scored a brace against Zamalek in last year’s Super Cup triumph.
- So far this season, he has made 42 appearances for his club in all competitions, scoring 11 goals.
Ajayi’s tale is a testament to the old adage that ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. After recovering from his six-month layoff, he celebrated another Egyptian league title before helping the Red Devils reach their third Champions League final in the last four years.
“We’re very happy we won the league, which gives us confidence ahead of the coming games,” he said. “We’re only focused on the continental title and will do our best to claim it.”
Having already faced the club’s arch-rivals in big games, Ajayi knows how difficult an opponent Zamalek will be and exactly what will await them at Cairo International Stadium on Friday.
“I expect a good game from both sides,” he said. “The two teams know each other very well, and Zamalek are among the toughest teams I’ve faced. I’ve lost two finals against them and it wasn’t a good feeling.”
Al Ahly and their fans will be hoping Ajayi can replicate his heroics against Zamalek from last year, when he scored twice against them in the Egyptian Super Cup. Were that to happen, no-one would be happier than the player himself.
“I love to play in big games because it highlights your capabilities as a player,” Ajayi said. “I’ve been lucky in scoring against big teams and I feel very happy when I do this.
“I want to score more goals and hope to win the Champions League, because it’s the only title I still haven’t managed. I hope we can do it because our fans love this tournament so much.”
If Ajayi succeeds in winning the continental title and participating in the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020, it will surely be his crowning achievement with the Cairo giants.
–FIFA
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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