Caf CL Round-up: Performance of teams in the Caf Champions League preliminary round
Another season of Champions League football in Africa has taken off with 44 teams paired against each for the preliminary round of the competition. The winner of the two-legged tie will advance to the second round of the competition. So which team did well in the first round of matches and what are the scorelines? The sports team at myactiveonline.com brings to you the latest round-up in the competition.
Friday
Ugandan side Express FC welcomed Sudanese side Al Merikh to the Saint Mary Stadium where they secured a 2-1 first-leg win ahead of the next match in a week’s time. Goals from Eric Kambale and Martin Kizza sandwiched Bakri al-Madina solitary strike for the Sudanese as the Ugandans got the victory at home.
Malawian side, Nyasa Big Bullets were 0-1 winners away to AmaZulu FC in South Africa with the Usuthu falling to a Chiukepo Msowoya 26th minute strike at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Yamikani Fodya got red-carded for the Peoples Team in the 42nd minute.
Saturday
Galaxy FC secured a 2-0 win at home against DFC 8ème Arrondissement with goals from Lucky Nhlanhla Mokoena and Wendell Rudath in the second half were enough to hand the Motswana side the advantage before their trip to the Central African Republic for the second leg.
Pachoio Lau Há King secured a late winner for UD Songo at home against Congolese side AS Otôho d’Oyo. The Mozambican club got the winner in the 86th minute to take a slim advantage heading into the next round.
Royal Leopards need a Solomon Sakala 60th minute own goal to secure a slim home win against Zesco United. The win gives the Ingwe Mabalabala the lone goal advantage ahead of their second-leg encounter next weekend.
AS Arta and Tusker played out a 1-1 draw on Saturday with Alain Traore and Joshua Ibrahim getting on the scoresheet for each side.
Sagrada Esperança and FC Platinum played out a goalless draw in Angola and have it all to play in the second-leg in Zimbabwe. Also, Nigerien side Union Sportive de la Gendarmerie Nationale played out a 1-1 draw against Le Messager Ngozi. Hinsa Issoufou scored in the 17th minute before Hakizimana netted the equalizer eight minutes from time. Another draw game on Saturday involved Bouenguidi and Maniema Union with Ricky Tulengi and Nzengeli Mpia both scoring an own-goal each against their respective sides.
Gambian side Fortune FC recorded a heavy win against their visitors ES Setif of Algeria. Unanswered goals from Camara, Patrick Sylva and Alieu Barry secured the comprehensive victory for the host. Ivorian side Asec Mimosa were also 0-1 winners away at Senegal against Teungueth FC. Paul Bassene’s goal 5 minutes from time was the only difference in the game between the two sides.
Beninese side ESAE FC was held at home to a 1-1 draw by Nouadhibu. The Mauritanian side took the lead in the 17th minute through Mohammed M’Changama before the home side equalized in the 67th minute through Faizou Kpara.
Meanwhile, Sonnabel lost at home to Stade Malien by a lone goal. Abdramane Traore Rba’s 22nd-minute goal was the difference and ensured the Malian club went back to Bamako with a slim advantage.
Sunday
Fasil Ketema and Al-Hilal Omdurman shared the spoils at the Bahir Dar Stadium in Ethiopia. Mohamed Abdel Rahman Yousif and Yasir Mozamil scored first for the visitors before their goals were cancelled out by strikes from Bereket Desta Dana and Okiki Afolabi. Also, Banadir and Armée Patriotique Rwandaise, APR of Rwanda drew 0-0 at Stade du Ville in Somalia and the third draw game on Sunday was between Fovu Club and Petro de Luanda in Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde where it ended 2-2.
Ubong Friday scored for Akwa United as they beat CR Belouizdad 1-0 and Rivers United also got off to a perfect start in their campaign with a 0-1 victory away at Young Africans in Tanzania.
Another Tanzania side Kikosi Maalum cha Kuzuia Magendo Sports Club simply known as KMKM were also defeated at home by Al-Ittihad Tripoli 0-2. Muad Eisay and Rabia Al Shadi scored in either half of the match to gift the win to the Libyan giants. Zambian side Zanaco were two-nil victors against Equatoguinean side Akonagui in Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyín in Equitorial Guinea
The last match of the round was LPRC Oilers 3-0 win over Togolese champions ASKO Kara. A goal in the first half and two more in the second half ensured the Liberian side travel to Togo next weekend with some space to breathe.
Ghanaian giants and one-time winners of the competition, Accra Hearts of Oak did not travel away to play Guinean side Club Industriel de Kamsar after Caf had evoked provisions of Articles 1 and 2.1 to allow the two-legged match to be turned into a one-off game following a coup in Guinea a fortnight ago. The two sides will now meet in Accra on September 19, to decide the winner.
By: Clifford Adumbire | myactiveonline.com
