Primeiro de Agosto’s exit confirmed with 1-1 draw

by Graeme Jackson

Saturday Jan 25, 2020. 19:56

Primeiro de Agosto’s exit from the CAF Champions League has been confirmed after they were held 1-1 by hosts Zesco United at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Saturday evening.

The result sees the teams level at the bottom of Group A on three points apiece, with neither having any mathematical chance of overhauling Zamalek in second place. The Egyptian giants will therefore join group winners TP Mazembe in advancing to the quarterfinals.

Zesco dominated the first half, but they struggled to fully assert themselves on a difficult pitch. Nonetheless, the likes of Jesse Were, Quadri Aladeokun and Winston Kalengo had promising moments.

Primeiro needed goalkeeper Neblu to be sharp on a couple of occasions to keep themselves in the match ensure the half-time interval arrived with the score line still blank.

The visitors made a tactical switch at the start of the second stanza by introducing DR Congo midfielder Emmanuel Ngudikana off the bench, but it was the hosts who soon broke the deadlock, with Kalengo turning home Mwelwa Mwape’s assist in the 50th minute.

Agosto were not deterred by going a goal behind and they worked their way back into the contest with some fine passages of play, finally drawing level in the 69th minute when Papel Ary sent a shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Jacob Banda.

That proved to be the final goal of the match, with the teams settling for a 1-1 draw – the same result as their first group meeting in Luanda back in November last year. The pair will wrap up their Group A campaigns next weekend, with Primeiro at home to Zamalek and Zesco away to TP Mazembe.

Zesco United (0) 1 (Kalengo 50’)

Primeiro de Agosto (0) 1 (Papel 69’)

Zesco: Banda, Owino, Kalonda, C. Mwape, Phiri, Chama, M. Mwape, Chaila, Were (Ching’andu 71’), Aladeokun, Kalengo

Agosto: Neblu, Natael, Dany, Ungenda, Isaac, Balbudia (Ngudikana 46’), Macaia, Ibukun (Yombi 79’), Luz (Bua 55’), Mabululo, Papel