CAFCL: Sundowns narrowly edge out Hilal in Pretoria; Horoya down Simba in Conakry
South African side Mamelodi Sundowns started their CAF Champions League group stage campaign with a hard earned 1-0 victory over 10-man Sudanese side Al Hilal in Pretoria on Saturday.
Cassius Mailula’s first-half goal was what separated the two sides as Hilal had to finish the match with 10 men following a sending off.
Defender Altayeb Abaker was sent off with four minutes of regulation time left following a second yellow card for a deliberate handball.
Mailula scored what would be the winner in the 25th minute of the match when he reacted quickest to tap the ball home from close range after Hilal keeper Ali Abdala Abosheren spilled a shot from the edge of the box off Neo Maema.
Hilal’s best chance to draw level before the break was in the 28th minute when a well weighted cross from the right found Mohamed Abdelrahman inside the box, but the skipper could not glance his header on target unmarked.
In the second half, it turned out to be a tactical battle between the two sides. Sundowns had a golden chance with Mailula almost netting a second, but his close range effort was blocked by keeper Abosheren.
Hilal gave in a good account and Glody Makaby had a chance when he slapped a shot from inside the box but it didn’t gather enough steam, the keeper making a routine save.
Their efforts were however punctured when Abaker was sent off and Sundowns managed the situation well to guard the three points.
Petro de Luanda and Algeria’s JS Kabylie played to a barren draw in Angola on Saturday. A cautious approach from both sides didn’t give much room for chances. The best opportunity of the game fell to Adriana Nicolo whose close range header failing to beat the Kabylie keeper in the 20th minute.
Petro continued to dominate the offensive end and with six minutes left to the break, they had another close opportunity but Anderson Castillo saw his shot saved for a corner by the keeper.
In the second half, Castillo had a chance again when he dribbled his way into the box, but once again, his shot was denied by the keeper who turned the ball behind for a corner.
The visitors were happy sitting behind and guarding their rare. They were however gifted a rare chance in the 67th minute off a defensive mistake, but Dadi Moagho failed to make use and beat the keeper one on one.
The home side, pushed on by their home advantage tried to get something off the tie and they came inches close in the 82nd minute, but Marcos Palanga’s header off a corner missed the target by a whisker.
Petro next travel away to DR Congo to face Vita Club in their next tie while Kabylie take on defending champions Wydad Athletic Club in a mouth-watering North African derby.
Horoya AC edged Simba SC 1-0 in Conakry to start their campaign on a high note courtesy an 18 minute header from an unmarked Ndiaye.
Horoya had to live the last quarter of an hour on the edge of their seats, especially after Ndiaye missed his penalty as Simba mounted pressure on them.
The victory sees them sit second in the group behind Morocco’s Raja Club Athletic who thrashed Vipers SC of Uganda 5-0 in their opening match on Friday.
They were dominant and should have gone to the break two up but they couldn’t bury the chances that came their way.
Five minutes into the second half, they had another golden chance when a deflected cross found Djibo at the back post, but he could not land his header on target with a gaping goalmouth. On the other end, Simba had a chance when Clatous Chama curled in a freekick, but the keeper turned it behind for a corner.
In the 72nd minute, Horoya should have closed out the game from the spot after Joash Onyango had handled inside the box, but Ndiaye saw his penalty saved by Aishi Manula.
From then on, Simba mounted the attack with Chama striking the ball over from close range in the 75th minute before substitute John Bocco dinked the ball wide one on one with the keeper.
Horoya keeper Moussa Camara made a brilliant save with seven minutes left to keep out a header from Sadio Kanoute before Bocco had another chance blocked from inside the box.
Simba’s efforts to earn a draw on enemy territory were not successful and they now switch their attention to next weekend when they host the high-flying Raja in Dar es Salaam while Horoya travel away to Kampala to take on Vipers.
Mohamed Amine Tougai scored at the death as Tunisian giants Esperance edged out Sudan’s El Merrikh 1-0 at the Olympic Stadium in El-Menzah.
The win sees Taraji move joint top with Algeria’s CR Belouizdad who began their campaign with a similar victory over Egypt’s Zamalek in Cairo on Friday.
Esperance knew they had to start strong in what is considered as the group of death in the competition and they had an early chance with Anice Badri shooting wide. Ali Bin Ramadan also had an effort fly over.
Al Merrikh were patient in their attack and they landed their first chance eight minutes to the break but Brazilian Mathos Bosa saw his shot saved by keeper Moez Bin Sharifia.
At the tail end of the first half, Badri had another close chance, but he saw it go begging.
Esperance got off the second half with as much pace and they were denied by the post in the 53rd minute when Mohamed El Houni’s shot beat the keeper but came off the woodwork.
Esperance continued to pile the pressure with Badri especially being a thorn in the flesh for Al Merrikh. With seven minutes added on, the home side knew they needed to push for a winner.
And they did so in the 94th minute when Tougai pounced on a rebound after the Merrikh keeper had spilled the ball, planting it into the net for the vital goal.
Esperance will now quickly shift their attention to the next duel when they travel away to Algeria to face Belouizdad in a top of the table clash while Merrikh will be at home against Zamalek.