31 January 2011
South African champions SuperSport United made heavy weather of it, but defeated Lesotho side Matlama FC 2-0 in their African Champions League preliminary round, first leg, in Polokwane on Saturday.
Second-half goals from Jabulani Maluleke and Tebogo Langerman give Matsatsantsa the advantage going into the second leg, which will be played in a fortnight’s time. The winner of this tie will meet Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the next round.
One of Nigerias representatives in this years competition, Kano Pillars, have disclosed they would have beaten Mighty Barolle by a bigger scoreline than 2-1, but for a poor pitch in Liberia.
Pillars got off to a winning start Sunday in the chase for continental glory, but Pillars chairman, Tukur Babangida, told MTNFootball.com the bad pitch at the Monrovia Stadium slowed his team from a big win.
The pitch was bad, if not we could have won by more goals, Babangida said.
All the same, it was encouraging to win away from home at the start of the competition.
Defender Maurice Chigozie opened scoring for the Nigerians in the first half, before the home team regained parity in the second half only for recent Eagles call-up Isa Sherif to net the winner 10 minutes to full time.
The Pillars boss told MTNFootball.com that he was very impressed that the 30,000-capacity stadium in Monrovia was packed full.
The match was played under a great atmosphere as the stadium was almost full because the government ordered that those who have registered for the countrys next general elections could watch the game at the presentation of their registration slips, he informed.
Cote d’Ivoire giants Asec Mimosas thumped ASC SNIM of Mauritania to seal their place in the next round, while Widad de Casablanca from Morocco beat Aduana Stars of Ghana 3-0 meaning the latter have it all to do on home turf in the second leg.
CotonSport of Cameroon were held to a 2-2 draw by VitalO FC of Burundi but their two away goals gives them advantage going into the home leg.
Nigeria’s Enyimba won 1-0 at Saint Michel de Ouenz from Congo, while AS Vita from DR Congo were held 1-1 by Zanzibar Ocean View.
Raja Casablanca humiliated Tourbillon of Chad 10-1 in their encounter in Casablanca after leading 6-0 at halftime.
Striker Hassan Tair netted a hat-trick for the three-time champions, while there were further goals from midfielder Abdessamad Ouhaki, Ismail Benlamaalem, Bouchaib El Moubarki, Mouhssine Metouali, Hicham Aboucherouane, Lacince Kone and Hassan Souari.
Egyptian giants Zamalek completed a 4-0 away rout of Ulinzi from Kenya to all-but seal their place in the first round proper.
After a goalless first half, Mahmoud Fathalla scored a penalty for the visitors just past the hour-mark, after which Mohammed Razak, Mohammed Amine and Ibrahim Salah scored for the White Knights.
Tunisian side Club Africain were held to a 2-2 draw by APR in Rwanda, though the north Africans might consider that a good result ahead of the reverse fixture in a fortnight’s time.
Zambia’s Zesco United put one foot in the next round as they completed a 3-0 home success over Desportiva Muculmana of Mozambique.
FULL PRELIMINARY ROUND, FIRST LEG, RESULTS:
Raja Club Athltic (Morocco) 10-1 Tourbillon (Chad)
Unlinzi Stars Football (Kenya) 0-4 Zamalek (Egypt)
APR FC (Rwanda) 2-2 Club Africain (Tunisia)
Zesco United (Zambia) 3-0 Liga Desportiva M. (Mozambique)
AS Forces Armes Nigeriennes (Niger) 0-0 JCAT (Cote dIvoire)
Union Sportive de Bitam (Gabon) 0-0 Les Astres de Douala (Cameroon)
O. Real de Bangui (Centrafrique) 1-1 Moloudia C. dAlger (Algeria)
Asec Mimosas (Cte dIvoire) 7-0 ASC SNIM (Mauritania)
Widad de Casablanca (Morocco) 3-0 Aduana Stars (Ghana)
VitalO FC (Burundi) 2-2 CotonSport (Cameroon)
Saint Michel de Ouenz (Congo) 0-1 Enyimba FC (Nigeria)
East End Lions FC (Sierra Leone) 0-2 Djoliba (Mali)
ASC Les Jaraafs (Senegal) 1-1 Gambia Ports A. (Gambia)
ASPAC FC (Benin) 1-0 DVO. Mongomo (Equatorial Guinea)
Motor Action F. C. (Zimbabwe) 0-1 Cnaps Sports (Madagascar)
Club Recreativo Caala (Angola) 2-0 Saint George (Ethiopia)
Elan Club de Mitsoudj (Comores) 0-0 Simba Sports Club (Tanzania)
Fello Star de Labe (Guinea) 1-1 AS. Faso Yennega (Burkina Faso)
Zanzibar Ocean View (Zanzibar) 1-1 AS V. Club (DR Congo)
Supersport (South Africa) 2-0 Matlama FC (Lesotho)
Young Buffaloes FC (Swaziland) 3-0 St. Michel United (Seychelles)
