Sundowns fall, Ahly claim victory in South Sudan

Al-Ahly players celebrating

Monday Aug 12, 2019. 09:15

Sunday’s action in the preliminary round of the 2019/20 CAF Champions League featured a loss for South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, while Egyptian giants Al Ahly got off to winning start in their latest attempt to win a record-extending ninth continental crown.

Sundowns went down 2-1 away to Republic of Congo’s AS Otoho, though a goal from Thapelo Morena gives them genuine hope of turning the tie in their favour in the return game in Tshwane later this month.

Ahly, meanwhile, are all but through to the next phase after recording an emphatic 4-0 away win over South Sudan’s Atlabara. The Egyptian side’s goals were scored by Ali Maaloul, Walid Azarou (two) and Ahmed El Sheikh.

The Red Devils’ fellow North Africans, Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia, did not enjoy similar fortune in their trip to Guinea’s Hafia, going down 2-1 despite claiming an early lead through Karim Laaribi.

Sudan’s Al Hilal are well placed in their tie after drawing 1-1 away to Rwanda’s Rayon Sport, and Angola’s Petro de Luanda even more so after a 2-0 win away to Lesotho’s Matlama.

The ‘minnows’ battle between Comoros’ Fomboni and the Seychelles’ Cote d’Or ended 2-2, while AS Tempete Mocaf of the Central African Republic claimed a 1-0 home win over Libya’s Al Nasr.

Aigle Noir (Burundi), Cercle Sportif (Gabon), UMS de Loum (Cameroon) and SO Armee (Ivory Coast) were all held 0-0 in their home matches against Gor Mahia (Kenya), Elect Sport (Chad), AS Vita (DR Congo) and Nouadhibou (Mauritania) respectively.

Liberia’s LPRC Oilers edged Senegal’s Generation Foot 1-0 and Buffles de Borgou of Benin held Togo’s ASC Kara 1-1.

The return leg matches of all 29 preliminary round ties will be held on the weekend of 23-25 August. The winners advance to join Wydad Casablanca, Esperance de Tunis and TP Mazembe in the first round in September.

CAF Champions League results, Sunday 11 August 2019

Fomboni 2-2 Cote d’Or

Aigle Noir 0-0 Gor Mahia

Matlama 0-2 Petro de Luanda

Rayon Sports 1-1 Al Hilal

AS Otoho 2-1 Mamelodi Sundowns

AS Tempete Mocaf 1-0 Al Nasr

Cercle Sportif 0-0 Elect Sport

UMS de Loum 0-0 AS Vita

SO Armee 0-0 FC Nouadhibou

Buffles de Borgou 1-1 ASC Kara

LPRC Oilers 1-0 Generation Foot

Hafia 2-1 Etoile du Sahel

Atlabara 0-4 Al Ahly