Esperance held in Mauritania, Bidvest Wits off to winning start

by Graeme Jackson

Saturday Feb 10, 2018. 23:12

Saturday 10 February saw 15 first leg, preliminary round matches in the 2018 CAF Champions League staged across the continent, featuring a draw for Tunisian giants Esperance de Tunis and a home win for South African champions Bidvest Wits.

Esperance played to a 1-1 draw in Nouakchott against hosts ASAC Concorde of Mauritania, with Andou M’Barek’s opener for the home team cancelled out midway through the second half by Haythem Jouini.

In Johannesburg, Wits claimed a 2-0 win over Mauritian side Pamplemousses thanks to goals from Kobamelo Kodisang and Eleazar Rodgers, though the match ended on a sour note when both teams had a men sent off in the dying minutes.

The day’s action wrapped up with a massive 10-0 win for Morocco’s Difaa El Jadidi over Guinea-Bissau’s Benfica. The hosts’ Hamid Ahaddad scored five goals in the space of 23 minutes to fire his team to what will surely be the biggest victory of the weekend.

Other notable results saw Botswana’s Township Rollers claim an emphatic 3-0 home win over Sudanese heavyweights Al Merrikh, former Confederation Cup champions AC Leopards of Congo defeated AS Togo-Port 2-1, and the Zambian pair of Zanaco and Zesco United had positive outcomes - the former won 3-0 at home to the Gambia’s Armed Forces, while the latter claimed a goalless draw at Zanzibar’s JKU.

The return leg matches will be staged next midweek, February 20-21, with the 27 aggregate winners advancing into the first round.

CAF Champions League results

Saturday 10 February

CNaPS Sport 2-1 KCCA

Gor Mahia 2-0 Leones Vegetarianos

JKU 0-0 Zesco United

Young Africans 1-0 Saint Louis

Zanaco 3-0 Armed Forces

Rayon Sport 1-1 LLB Academic

Township Rollers 3-0 Al Merrikh

AC Leopards 2-1 AS Togo-Port

ASFAN Niamey 1-3 Horoya AC

ASAC Concorde 1-1 Esperance de Tunis

Bidvest Wits 2-0 Pamplemousses

Rail Club Kadiogo 1-0 CF Mounana

Generation Foot 2-0 Misr El Maqasa

Stade Malien 1-1 Williamsville AC

Difaa El Jadidi 10-0 Benfica de Bissau