CAF Champions League Matchday 4 Wrap: Petro Atletico, Wydad advance to quaterfinals
Angolan side Petro de Luanda and Morocco’s Wydad Club Athletic have booked their place in the quarterfinals of the ongoing CAF Champions League with two games left to spare.
Petro stormed top of the Group D after beating Angolan rivals G.D. Sagrada Esperança 3-0 in Luanda to move top with 10 points with Wydad settling for second spot after their 1-0 victory over Egyptian giants Zamalek on Friday, they have also progressed with nine points.
This means that third placed Zamalek who are on two points from four matches have been eliminated and will only play the last two games for pride with Esperança also bottom of the pile with just one point collected from their home draw with Zamalek also out.
Heading into match day four, Esperança were in a must win situation to keep their hopes alive, but instead, Petro completed a home and away sweep to move top of the log.
Petro got into the lead just 16 seconds into the match when skipper Tiago Azulao volleyed the ball home from inside the box after picking up a cross from Gleison on the right.
It was a perfect start for Petro who have been brilliant throughout the group phases and continued to dominate the match but had to wait until the last minute of the opening half when Azulao added his second of the afternoon, sliding in to poke the ball home after the keeper had spilled a shot from distance.
In the second half they continued their dominance and they almost made it 2-0 when Celso had a shot come off the woodwork after controlling a cross from Carlinhos inside the box.
They however got the third goal at the death off the penalty spot after a foul inside the box. Erico Castro stepped up and expertly put the ball into the net for a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Morocco’s Wydad Club Athletic saw off Zamalek as Skipper Yahya Jabrane scored the lone goal off the penalty spot in the second half to hand the two-time champions their third victory in Group D.
There weren’t many scoring chances in the opening half with Wydad’s Congolese forward Guy Mbenza seeing a looping header go over.
Despite playing at home, Zamalek couldn’t create much infront of goal as the Wydad backline kept their forward line, including the dangerous Ahmed Sayed ‘Zizo’ at bay.
In the second half, Wydad got the much needed goal two minutes after the bounce when skipper Jabrane scored his third goal of the tournament and second consecutive against Zamalek.
The skipper converted from an expertly taken penalty after a Zamalek defender handled inside the box.
Aymane El Hassouni came close to doubling the tally for Wydad when he struck a superb volley from the edge of the area, but his effort went wide.
On the other end, Zamalek had a good chance to draw level when Zizo stepped over a freekick from distance, but his curling effort was punched away by the keeper.
Zamalek made attacking changes with Omar Elsaied coming off for Seifeddine Jaziri and Hazem Emam coming on for defender Hamza Mathlouthi. The three changes sought to add spice in attack, but the home side could not break the resilient Wydad who held on to the slim lead.
Zamalek offically bow out of the competition as they have only managed two points off draws against the two Angolan sides.
Esperance zoomed to the top of Group C after beating Etoile du Sahel 2-0 in the Tunisian Derby at the Stade Olympique de Radès in Tunis on Saturday.
Abdelkader Bedrane and Mohamed Ben Romdhane scored the goals for Esperance as they moved to eight points, same as second placed CR Belouizdad.
While Esperance moved closer to a place in the last eight, Etoile now have to win their remaining two games to progress as they are still on three points and third in the group.
Esperance were on from the start and wanted to get an early goal. Bedrane had a chance after 11 minutes but his header missed the target.
Despite the high tempo, none of the two sides could get a goal in the opening half.
In the second period, Esperance kept their front running on and in the 66th minute they had a goal when Bedrane picked up a freekick before beating the keeper.
Esperance sealed the victory 10 minutes later when Ben Romdhane scored his fourth goal of the tournament with a rasping shot from distance. The 2-0 lead was a comfortable pick for Esperance who managed the game till the final whistle.
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In the other game, CR Belouizdad’s hopes of making the quaterfinals for the second consecutive season were enhanced on Friday after picking a 4-1 victory at home against 10-man Jwaneng Galaxy.
For Jwaneng, their hopes of making a historic qualification into the quarter finals are now extinguished as they remain bottom of the table with one point even with two matches lef left play.
Mohamed Islam Bakir and Karim Aribi’s goals gave the home side a 2-0 advantage after Jwaneng were reduced to 10 men following Moagi Sechele’s red card.
They revived some hope of a comeback in the second half through Thabang Sesinyi, but Housseyn Selmi’s thunderbolt 20 minutes to time and Khayreddine Merzougui’s strike sealed the tie for CR Belouizdad.
The home side had the first penalty after 17 minutes when Khaled Bousseliou was brought down inside the box by Lesego Keredilwe. However, Aribi stepped up and saw his penalty saved.
The second penalty incident was even more eventful. Mohammed Islam Bakir stepped up to score, though keeper Anthony Gouws had a hand on it, but the power was too much. Belouizdad were awarded a spot kick after Sechele deliberately handled a goal bound effort.
The defender was handed his matching orders, just 25 minutes into the match.
On the other end, Jwaneng almost made a response with Rudath Wendell’s long range freekick going just over while in the 35th minute, Sesinyi had a shot from inside the box turned behind for a corner by the keeper.
But, CR Belouizdad doubled their tally four minutes to the break when Aribi finally made amends for his penalty miss, connecting Zakaria Draoui’s cross from the left, though the ball took a wicked deflection off a defender.
In the second half, just five minutes in, Jwaneng halved the deficit through Sesinyi’s header after a freekick was flicked to his direction.
All hopes of carving out at least an away draw from the match were however extinguished when Selmi struck a thunderbolt inside the box in the 70th minute. Merzougui then drove the final nail with a goal in the first minute of added time off a counter-attack.
In Group B, Raja Club Athletic have to wait again as they suffered their first defeat of the campaign after going down 2-1 away to Horoya at the Stade Général Lansana Conte in Conakry on Saturday.
Horoya came from a goal down to win the tie at home and revenge for the 1-0 defeat they suffered in Casablanca a fortnight ago.
The win sees Horoya pick their first victory of the group phase, though they remain bottom of the pile but retain a mathematical chance of making it into the quarter finals if they win their last two matches.
Despite the loss, Raja remained top of the group with nine points and have fate in their own hands as far as qualification is concerned.
Raja broke the deadlock in the 19th minute when Hamid Ahadad tapped the ball home at the backpost when skipper Mohsine Moutaouali’s corner was deflected to the backpost.
But, Horoya kept their fight knowing only a win would put them at a good position to battle for a quarter final slot. They kept the pressure and almost had a goal but Mandela Ocansey’s effort from a corner was cleared off the line.
But, there was no stopping the skipper in the 26th minute when he levelled the scores, when he controlled a cross from the left before shooting beyond the keeper.
They completed their comeback and went into the lead three minutes later when Yakhouba Barry thundered a penalty home after a foul inside the box.
In the second half, Raja piled the pressure as they sought to get back into the game. Horoya were also not willing to let their grasp off the game and they should have had a third goal, but Boniface Haba failed to score with a clear chance unmarked.
In the 63rd minute, Raja almost drew level, but substitute Kadima Kabangu could not bury an easy chance when keeper Moussa Camara spilled a shot right into his path unmarked inside the box. Kabangu also had a chance with 12 minutes left but his header from close range was over.
The Moroccans threw bodies upfront in search of an equalizer, but all their efforts came to nothing.
In the other game, Algeria’s ES Setif skipped to second spot after a 2-0 victory over South African debutants AmaZulu in Algiers on Saturday.
Setif made up for the 1-0 loss they suffered against Usuthu in South Africa a fortnight ago to move to six points, enhancing their chances of making it into the quarter finals.
Setif picked the cue and clinched three vital points courtesy of first half goals from Riad Benayad and Akram Djahnit.
The home side were off to a hunt from the word go and broke the deadlock after 10 minutes. Benayad zoomed into the box after picking a delightful through ball from Ahmed Kendouci before slamming the ball home.
In the 24th minute, Benayad almost grabbed his second of the evening when he played a one-two change of passes with Zoubir Motrani, but his shot was blocked by the keeper.
Amazulu struggled to create chances and had two sniffs at goal in the opening exchanges. Keegan Buchanan struck a freekick towards Thambela Sikhakhane at the backpost but the defender could not connect on target.
In the 36th minute, Luvuyo Memela attempted his luck with a setpiece from range, but he lifted it a few inches over the bar
The home side however doubled their tally at the stroke of halftime when Djahnit finished off neatly inside the box after some quick change of passes with Benayad.
In the second half, Amazulu piled the pressure but once again, their ball in the final third let them down. In the 64th minute they came close when a cross from Augustine Mulenga found the path of Tapelo Xoki, but the midfielder headed wide.
Towards the end it was Setif who had the chances and keeper Veli Mothwa had to make two fine saves, denying Abdelhak Debbari’s shot inside the box before also putting away Benayad’s attempt at a brace.
Group B remains wide open with two matches left to play
In Group A, Al Hilal earned revenge over their Sudanese rivals Al Merrikh beating them by a solitary goal at their home stadium in Omdurman on Friday evening in the return leg.
Yasir Mozamil Mohamed scored the solitary goal six minutes from time to hand Hilal the victory, in a match that Merrikh had to finish with 10 men after Emad Ali was sent off for a second bookable offense.
The victory now takes Hilal above Merrikh in Group A as they now sit on four points from four matches at third while their rivals drop to bottom, also with the same number of points.
Hilal dominated the game and more so the opening half of the game, but couldn’t get a breakthrough.
They were almost caught out twice, first when Hamza Dawoud missed the target and Nigerian import Tony Edjomariegwe also came close but couldn’t punish the misfiring home side.
After surviving the two sacers, Hilal forward Ibrahim Mustapha also twice came close but couldn’t beat the Merrikh keeper.
In the second half, they were handed a massive advantage when Emad was sent off just seven minutes after the restart for a second yellow card, having been booked early in the second minute.
They piled the pressure on Merrikh and finally found the breakthrough with seven minutes left to hand themselves some hope of making the quarter finals.
Mamelodi Sundowns moved to within a point of qualification to the quarterfinals after completing a double over defending champions Al Ahly, beating them 1-0 in Johannesburg on Saturday.
While Sundowns are comfortably wheeling into the last eight, holders Ahly now have a mountain to climb as they must win their last two games to enhance their hopes of making the quarters.
The South African side meanwhile replicated the same result they picked in Cairo last weekend, this time Peter Shalulile scoring a first half goal to secure the three points.
Shalulile hit the back of the net in the 23rd minute finishing off Lyle Lakay’s corner at the backpost, guiding the ball home with his thigh.
Ahly were restricted most of the opening half, and their only shot on target was through former SUndowns man Percy Tau whose low effort from outside the box was calmly collected by veteran Zambian keeper Kennedy Mweene.
In the second half, Sundowns had more chances and Mohamed Elshenawy had to be on his toes to keep his side in the game. He made a good full stretched save in the 63rd minute, pushing away Haashim Domingo’s effort for a corner.
He made another superb save in the 73rd minute, coming off his line to make his body big and block a shot from Pavol Safranko who had run into a brilliant through ball from Themba Zwane.
In the final 10 minutes of the game, Ahly piled the pressure and had two golden chances. In the 80th minute, Mohamed Magdy Afsha collected the ball from distance but his drive at goal was calmly collected by the keeper.
Substitute Hossam Hassan had an even better chance with eight minutes left when a brilliant cross from Ali Maaloul found him unmarked but the striker flushed his header wide.
The Egyptian giants could not conjure a comeback despite increased pressure.
The victory take Sundowns to 10 points, six ahead of Ahly, Al Merrikh and Al Hilal who are all on four points, with two rounds of matches left.