GABARONE, Botswana
The first leg matches of the 2021-22 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Second Preliminary Round were concluded on Sunday.
Tanzania’s Simba and Morocco’s Raja
recorded valuable away wins, while South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundwons and
Tunisia’s Esperance returned home with a draw.
Ghana’s returning giants Hearts of Oak
defeated Morocco’s Wydad in Accra. Mauritania’s Nouadhibou had the shock of the
day, beating Algeria’s ES Setif 3-1 in Nouakchott.
The return legs take part next weekend.
Tanzanian giants Simba put one leg into
the group stage, after returning from Gaborone with a 2-0 away won over
Botswana champions Jwaneng Galaxy.
John Bocco scored twice in the opening
minutes to give Simba a valuable away win. Bocco opened the score as early as
the second minute, before doubling Simba’s lead after just six minutes.
The return leg takes takes place next
weekend in Dar Es Salaam.
AS Maniema Union 2-2 Mamelodi Sundowns
DR Congo’s AS Maniema Union returned from
behind twice to hold South Africa giants Mamelodi Sundowns to a 2-2 draw in
Kinshasa.
Themba Zwane broke the deadlock for
Sundowns after 9 minutes, but for Kitwa Kalowa to restore parity ten minutes
from the break as the first half ended 1-1.
Zwane thought he handed Sundowns an away
win when he scored his second goal of the day after 84 minutes. But Tenda
Mutuila scored a late equalizer for the hosts with just two minutes remaining
on the clock.
Sundowns will try to secure their group
stage place at home in Pretoria next weekend.
Nouadhibou 3-1 ES Setif
Mauritanian champions Nouadhibou came
back from behind to stun Algeria’s ES Setif 3-1 in Nouakchott.
Abderrahim Demghoum gave Setif the lead
four mintes before halftime, as the visitors went to the break leading 1-0.
But Nouadhibou returned stronger and
before the hour mark, they were 3-1 up. Moulaye Ahmed Bessam equalized at the
54th minute, and three minutes later Cheikh Moulaye Ahmed made it 2-1 for the
hosts.
Immediately after, it became 3-1 when
Hemeya Tanjy scored the hosts third in style. Setif had to end the game with
ten men after Riad Benayad was shown the red card deep into injury time.
Setif who lost 3-0 away in the First
Preliminary Round to Gambia’s Fortune before responding to win with the same
margin and qualify on penalties will look for another comeback at home next
weekend.
AS Otoho 2-2 Petro de Luanda
In Brazzaville, Angola’s Petro de Luanda
scored six minutes into injury time to snatch an away 2-2 draw to Congo’s AS
Otoho.
After a goalless first half, Nkaya
Wilfrid opened the score for Otoho after 61 minutes, and Roland Okouri doubled
the hosts’ lead at the 74th minute.
But Petro responded to reduce the deficit
seven minutes from time through Gleison. And as late as the 96th minute,
Vidinho snatched the equalizer for the Angolans to hold Otoho to a precious
away draw.
Hearts of Oak 1-0 Wydad
Ghanaian Hearts of Oak had a day to
remember, beating two-time African champions and Morocco’s giants Wydad 1-0 in
Accra.
Isaac Mensah scored what proved to be the
game’s lone goal four minutes before halftime as Hearts of Oak will travel
north hoping to defend their slim lead.
LPRC Oilers 0-2 Raja
Morocco’s Raja recorded a vital away 2-0
victory over Liberia LPRC Oilers to move closer to the group stage.
Raja were considered visitors despite
playing less than 90 Kilometers away from their base in Casablanca, as LPRC
Oilers hosted the game in Moroccan capital Rabat.
Houssine Rahimi put Raja ahead after 23
minutes, and Mahmoud Benhalib doubled the Green Eagles lead on
the brink of halftime as Raja held on the result till the end.
Rivers United 1-1 Al Hilal
Sudanese giants Al Hilal returned from
Port Harcourt with an away 1-1 draw with Nigeria’s Rivers United.
Mohamed AbdelRahman put the visitors
ahead after 35 minutes, but his teammate Mohamed Saeed Ahmed gifted the hosts
the equalizer after 69 minutes scoring in his own net.
Al Hilal will receive Rivers next weekend
in Suez, Egypt with a place in the group stage at stake.
Al Ittihad 0-0 Esperance
In Benghazi, there was no much action as
Libya’s Al Ittihad and Tunisia’s Esperance played to a goalless draw at the
Benina Martyrs stadium.
There were rare chances for both sides,
as four-time champions Esperance will try to make use of playing home at Rades
next weekend to continue their Champions League adventure. - Cafonline
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