JS Kabylie picked a huge 2-0 first leg advantage against Ghana’s Bibiani GoldStars in the first preliminary round CAF Champions League clash at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.
The Ghana champions now have it all to do a week later in Algeria if they are to progress to the second preliminary round.
The Algerian side started the game on the front foot with their experience and determination coming to the fore.
Just eight minutes in, Aymen Mahious put the visitors in the lead. Fortunately for GoldStars, it was ruled out for offside.
Moments later, Emmanuel Kobi produced an impressive point-blank save to deny the 14-time Algerian champions from taking the lead.
But Kobi could not come to the rescue of his team when Medhi Merghem connected brilliantly to a cross from the right to hand JS Kabylie the lead in the 21st minute.
Back in the second half, the hosts stepped up their game and got chance after chance but could simply not convert any.
GoldStars were punished again for some schoolboy defending from a corner situation when no one stepped up before Babacar Sarr tapped in, in the 70th minute to double JS Kabylie’s lead.
The game ended 2-0 in favour of JS Kabylie with the Algerian side going back home with a first leg advantage, with the reverse fixture scheduled for a week later.
The winner of the first preliminary round tie will face either East End Lions of Sierra Leone or US Monastir of Tunisia in the second preliminary round.