CAF CL Wrap: AmaZulu upset TP Mazembe to qualify; Al Ahly thrash Niger’s USGN
The 2021/2022 CAF Champions League season is finally in sight as the first and second qualifying rounds came to a rocking end over the weekend.
Seven 2021/22 CAF Champions League group stage playoff games were played across Africa on Saturday.
Well known giants in African Football will not be representing their countries this time around after a lot of upsets were caused over the weekend.
Eight group stage tickets have been secured already, as Egyptian club Zamalek completed the double over Kenya’s Tusker to qualify on Friday.
From Saturday’s games, South African club AmaZulu stunned DR Congo heavyweights TP Mazembe to book their first-ever group stage berth in Lubumbashi.
Benni McCarthy’s side held Mazembe to a goalless draw in the first leg in South Africa and played out a 1-1 draw at the Stade TP Mazembe.
AmaZulu qualified on away goal rule with Bossu Nzali’s 90th minute equalizer after Bongi Ntuli had put the hosts ahead in the 38th minute.
At the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo, defending champions Al Ahly thrashed Niger’s Union Sportive Gendarmerie Nationale 6-1 to qualify 7-2 on aggregate.
The Reds were held to a 1-1 draw in Egypt last week.
Mohamed Sherif and Magdi Afsha scored in the 9th and 17th minutes for Mosimane’s side before Hinsa Issoufou pulled one back for the Nigeriens to end the first half 2-1.
Al Ahly came back from the break firing as Afsha (58’), Hussein El Shahat (64’), Kahraba (69’), and Hamdi Fathi (89’) scored the other four goals to wrap up the tie.
It is the 7th straight season Al Ahly are making the group stage of the CAF Champions League.
Meanwhile, Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca have made history by qualifying for their first group stage.
They progressed 3-2 on aggregate against Eswatini’s Royal Leopards after a 1-0 defeat yesterday. Sagrada Esperanca won the first leg 3-1 in Angola.
In another shocking game on Saturday, Jwaneng Galaxy from Botswana stunned Simba SC of Tanzania after bouncing back from a 1-0 first leg defeat to win by 3-1 away in Tanzania.
Other results
Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) 4-0 APR (Rwanda)
Etoile du Sahel through 5-1 on aggregate
Zanaco (Zambia) 2-1 Al-Merreikh (Sudan)
Al-Merreikh through 4-2 on aggregate
Petro Atletico (Angola) 2-0 Otoho d’Oyo (Congo)
Petro Atletico through 4-2 on aggregate
Raja Club Athletic (Morocco) 2-0 LPRC Oilers (Liberia)
Raja Club Athletic through 4-0 on aggregate
Ahead of the draw with dates to be announced, this is how the various groups are looking like;
POT 1
Al Ahly SC
Espérance Tunis
Wydad AC
Raja Club Athletic
POT 2
Zamalek SC
Mamelodi Sundowns
Etoile du Sahel
Horoya AC
POT 3
Al Hilal Club
CR Belouizdad
Petro Atletico
ES Setif
POT 4
Al Merreikh
AmaZulu FC
Jwaneng Galaxy
Sagrada Esperança
