A total of 22 goals were scored on matchday two as the sixteen best clubs on the continent battled it out in the CAF Champions League matchday two.
All equal in group A
All the four teams in group A have tasted a win and a loss after just two games. ASEC Mimosa and Mamelodi Sundowns bounced back at home to winning ways following their 1-0 and 2-1 results over Lobi Stars and Wydad Casablanca respectively.
A double by Themba Zwane in both halves reduced Mohammed Nahiri’s goal to a mere consolation as Sundowns put behind a similar matchday one loss to Lobi Stars in Nigeria.
The Nigerians, in the other group A match, lost 1-0 to their West African neighbors ASEC Mimosa in Abidjan. Herve Diomande scored the lone goal from the spot in the 38th minute.
Group A
ASEC Mimosas 1–0 Lobi Stars
Herve Diomandé (38' P)
Mamelodi Sundowns 2–1 Wydad Casablanca
Themba Zwane (8', 64') | Mohammed Nahiri 35’)
Â
Clinical Pirates go top, Champions win in empty stadium
Serbian tactician, Milutin Sredojevic, steered his Orlando Pirates to the summit of group A with a superb three-star performance against ACÂ Horoya as they kept their backline clean for a second match running.
Zambian striker Justin Shonga bagged a second-half brace to add on Thembinkosi Lorch’s first half strike to give the Buccaneers their first win after returning to the stage for the first time since 2013. The win also stretched their home unbeaten run at the continent to eleven games.
In the other match, defending champions Espérance brushed off their opening day 1-1 draw against Horoya in Conakry with a 2-0 victory in an empty El Menzah stadium.
The champions played in an empty stadium after CAF slapped their fans a two-match stadium ban for causing chaos in their final against Al Ahly. Pirates lead the group with a better goal difference. Both have four points from the two games.
Group B
Espérance de Tunis 2–0 FC Platinum
Yassine Khenissi (24', 65')
Orlando Pirates 3–0 AC Horoya
Thembinkosi Lorch (45'), Justin Shonga (73', 76')
Chaos at AFCON-bound stadium
Egypt Football Association and the authorities got a situation to worry about as rowdy Ismailia SC fans caused their match against Club Africain to be abandoned late in the game.
The fans were protesting what they felt was a biased officiating by Cameroonian referee Sidi Alioum. The referee awarded two late first half penalties to the Tunisians which Ghazi Ayadi ably converted to overturn an early home lead courtesy of a Benson Shilongo’s goal.
The situation worsened as frustrations grew in the home stands as the game approached its final bend and the situation got out of hand leading to a premature end.
The venue, a 19,000-capacity Ismailia Stadium, is one of the grounds earmarked to host the Africa Cup of Nations in May and June. The matter will be handled by CAF’s disciplinary committee. According to the competitions rules, the Egyptian side could be expelled from the tournament.
Still in the same group, Five-time champions, TP Mazembe fell to a shock 3-0 defeat in Algeria against CS Constantine. The results leave the little-known Algerians at the top of the group with six points. They’re the only side yet to drop a point after two games.
Group C
Ismaily 1–2 Club Africain (Abandoned in 90th)
Benson Shilongo (8') Ghazi Ayadi (40' & 45' P)
CS Constantine 3–0 TP Mazembe
Houcine Benayada (51'), Nasreddine Zaâlani (65'), Ali Lamri (80')
Simba caged, Al Ahly falter
East African giants, Simba Sports Club, were humbled in Kinshasa as Congolese giants AS Vita eased to a 5-0 victory. The Tanzanians thumped Algerian outfit JS Saoura 3-0 on day one but collapsed at the hands of the 2018 Confederations Cup losing finalists.
In Algeria, Walid Nedvěd saved last season’s finalists, AL Ahly, as his 85th-minute strike against JS Saoura saved a point for the Egyptians. Despite the setback, Al Ahly remain the pace-setters as Vita go over Simba to second thanks to the head-to-head and superior goal difference.
Group D
JS Saoura 1–1 Al-Ahly
Ali Yahia-Chérif (59') | Walid Nedvěd (85')
AS Vita Club 5–0 Simba
Jean-Marc Mundele (14', 74'), Botuli Bompunga (19'), Fabrice Ngoma (45' P), Makwekwe Kupa (71')
Matchday three fixtures will be played on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd February.
Read also: CAF CC: Asante Kotoko draw Zesco United and Al Hilal in group stage
Latest Sports News Ghana