Champions League: Away wins for Yanga and Raja on Saturday

by Graeme Jackson

Sunday Aug 18, 2024. 09:41

The first qualifying round of the CAF Champions League continued on Saturday, headlined by away wins for Tanzania’s Young Africans and Raja Casablanca of Morocco.

Young Africans trounced Vital’O of Burundi 4-0 ‘away’ in Dar Es Salaam thanks to goals from Prince Dube, Clatous Chama, Cement Mzize and Stephane Aziz Ki.

Raja also took a major step toward the next preliminary round thanks to a hard-fought 2-1 triumph in Niamey, Niger, against AS GNN.

Sabir Bougrine gave the Green Eagles the lead on 20 minutes, but Koubino drew the hosts level to see the game locked at 1-1 at the break.

However, the Moroccan side edged ahead again via Marouane Zila midway through the second stanza and ultimately held out for the victory.

Elsewhere, Namibia’s African Stars secured a narrow 1-0 ‘home’ win over Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana in Gaborone thanks to an early goal from Willy Stephanus, while Zimbabwe’s Ngezi Platinum were held 0-0 by DR Congo’s AS Maniema Union in Lusaka.

Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca triumphed 1-0 away to Saint Louis Suns United of the Seychelles via a second-half goal from Dabanda, and Commercial Bank of Ethiopia defeated Uganda’s SC Villa in Kampala – a heated East African derby which ended with the hosts being reduced to 10 men.

A trio of West African derbies all ended in draws: in Bamako, AS Douanes (Burkina Faso) were held by 0-0 Coton FC (Benin); Bo Rangers (Sierra Leone) and San Pedro (Ivory Coast) played out a 1-1 draw at Bo Stadium; and Stade Abidjan were held 1-1 in the Ivorian capital by visiting Teungueth FC of Senegal.

And the late game in Benghazi saw another stalemate, as Al Nasr (Libya) and Al Merrikh (Sudan) played out a 0-0 draw.

The first round continues on Sunday, with the big names in action including South Africa’s Orlando Pirates (away to Disciples FC of Madagascar); CR Belouizdad of Algeria (away to AC Leopards of the Congo); Pyramids FC of Egypt (away to Zanzibar’s JKU); as well as Nigeria’s Enugu Rangers and Remo Stars taking on US Zilimadjou (Comoros) and AS FAR (Morocco) respectively.

CAF Champions League results, Saturday 17 August

African Stars (Namibia) 1-0 Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana)

Ngezi Platinum (Zimbabwe) 0-0 AS Maniema Union (DR Congo)

SC Villa (Uganda) 1-2 Commercial Bank OE (Ethiopia)

Vital’O (Burundi) 0-4 Young Africans (Tanzania)

Red Star Bangui (Central African Republic) 0-0 Djoliba AC (Mali)

AS GNN (Niger) 1-2 Raja Casablanca (Morocco)

Saint Louis Suns United (Seychelles) 0-1 Sagrada Esperanca (Angola)

AS Douanes (Burkina Faso) 0-0 Coton FC (Benin)

Stade Abidjan (Ivory Coast) 1-1 Teungueth FC (Senegal)

Bo Rangers (Sierra Leone) 1-1 San Pedro (Ivory Coast)

Al Nasr (Libya) 0-0 Al Merrikh (Sudan)