Khaled Gourmi of MC Alger challenged by Ndumiso Ndaba of Mbabane Swallows
by
Austin Ditlhobolo
Saturday May 05, 2018. 01:00
Difaa El Jadidi drew 1-1 with ten-man MC Alger in their first 2018 CAF Champions League Group B match at the Stade du 6 Juillet 1962 in Algiers on Friday night.
The draw sees Algerian side Alger and Moroccan club Jadidi are placed at the top, and second respectively on the Group B standings after match day one.
The match got off to a lively start with the hosts searching for an early goal which have unsettled the Jadidi defence.
Alger came close to breaking the deadlock three minutes into the game after some good work by Hichem Nekkache.
The forward set-up Mohamed Souibaa, who unleashed a shot which went just over the crossbar.
The visitors then threatened through Simon Msuva, who forced Alger goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi into a top save in the seventh minute.
Nekkache looked lively for Alger, but they were finding difficult to unlock the Jadidi defence which was marshalled by Maroune Hadhoudi.
The visitors managed to contain Alger and the score was 0-0 during the half-time break.
The hosts suffered a big blow nine minutes into the second-half as Zidane Mebarakou was sent off for dangerous challenge and Alger were reduced to 10 men.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Alger continued to attack and Walid Derardja's well-taken shot narrowly missed the target just after the half-hour mark.
However, the home side were punished by Jadidi, who broke the deadlock against the run of play in the 77th minute.
Hamid Ahadad pounced onto a poor back pass and he scored to make to make it 1-0 to Jadidi silencing the home crowd.
It was end-to-end stuff as the lead only lasted for four minutes as Amir Karaoui netted with a deflected shot to make it 1-1 for Alger.
Both teams launched late attacks in search of more goals, but they could not score, and in the end, the two teams settled for a 1-1 stalemate.
Alger (0) 1 (Ahadad 77')
Jadidi (0) 1 (Karaoui 81')
Alger: Chaouchi, Hachoud, Mebarakou, Azzi, Karaoui, Dieng, El Moudene (Bouhenna 61'), Bendebka, Derrardja, Nekkache (Balegh 86'), Souibaa (El Ouazani 80').
Jadidi: El Qinani, Aguerdom, Hadhoudi, Ngah (El Megri 75'), Asstati, Jayid, Nanah, El Hassnaoui (Hamami 83'), Msuva (Khoukhouche 87'), Ahadad.
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