Kano triumph, losses for Pirates, KCCA and Enyimba

by Graeme Jackson

Saturday Aug 10, 2019. 21:00

Saturday 10 August saw 12 CAF Champions League preliminary round, first-leg matches played across Africa, with the biggest result coming from Nigeria, where Kano Pillars defeated Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko in a five-goal thriller.

Masu Gida won 3-2 at home, with strikes from Paul Hillary, Rabiu Ali and Nyima Nekabari, yet the away goals from Justices Blay and Godfed Asiamah means the Porcupine Warriors remain very much in contention ahead of their home leg in Ghana in two weeks’ time.

The other Nigerian team in action on Saturday was two-time African champions Enyimba, who succumbed 1-0 away to Rahimo of Burkina Faso, while another former winner of the competition, South Africa’s Orlando Pirates, lost by the same score at Zambia’s Green Eagles.

The highest-scoring game of the day came from the Gambia, where Brikama United held Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca 3-3 – Badr Banoun netted a brace for the North African side, who had to come from 3-1 down to ensure they enter their home leg with the aggregate score on level terms.

Uganda’s KCCA suffered a setback in their hopes of advancing, as goals from Amseb Ambrosius and Ibroihim Youssouf (two) gave Namibia’s African Stars a 3-2 win in Windhoek, and Angola’s Primeiro de Agosto have taken a major stride toward the next round by winning 2-0 away to Zanzibar’s KMKM.

Zambia’s Zesco United have done the same with their 2-0 win in Swaziland against Green Mamba, while Tanzanian giants Simba and Young Africans drew against Mozambique’s UD Songo (0-0 away) and Botswana’s Township Rollers (1-1 home) respectively.

Malawi’s Big Bullets and Platinum of Zimbabwe drew 0-0, Equatorial Guinea’s Cano Sport beat Mekelle 70 of Ethiopia 2-1 at home and the day’s final result was a 1-1 draw between Stade Malien and Guinea’s Horoya, with the latter’s away goal netted by Godfred Asante.

The Champions League continues with 15 further preliminary round, first-leg matches across Africa on Sunday 11 August.

CAF Champions League results, Saturday 10 August 2019

KMKM 0-2 Primeiro de Agosto

African Stars 3-2 KCCA

Green Eagles 1-0 Orlando Pirates

Green Mamba 0-2 Zesco United

UD Songo 0-0 Simba SC

Big Bullets 0-0 Platinum

Kano Pillars 3-2 Asante Kotoko

Young Africans 1-1 Township Rollers

Cano Sport 2-1 Mekelle 70

Rahimo 1-0 Enyimba

Stade Malien 1-1 Horoya

Brikama United 3-3 Raja Casablanca