Holders Al-Ahly of Egypt won a second successive African Champions League group match to open up a three point lead at the top of their standings with a 1-0 win over Asec Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire on Sunday.
Midfielder Mohamed Aboutrika scored from close range five minutes before half-time to give Al-Ahly six points from their two Group B matches despite having to reshuffle their injury-hit side for the match in Abidjan.
Sudan’s Al-Hilal won Sunday’s other Group B match with a 2-0 triumph over Esperance of Tunisia in Omdurman.
It was the first point of the campaign for the Sudanese, making their debut in the league phase of the competition.
Nigerian import Ndubuisi Eze got both goals on a night of heady celebration in front of packed crowd of about 40 000 at the Al-Hilal stadium.
Eze’s first goal was set up by compatriot Kelechi Osunwa whose dribbling skills saw him outfox the Esperance defence to cross for a decisive finish.
The second goal saw Eze burst clear of the Tunisian defenders, who were pushing forward in the last moments in desperate search of an equaliser, and beat Esperance goalkeeper Hamdi Kasraoui to a loose ball.
Esperance had few chances in their first outing under new coach Faouzi Benzarti, who returned to the club in place of Frenchman Jacky Dugueperoux, fired after the Tunis club was held at home in the opening group match by Asec Abidjan last month.
On Saturday, another debutant team Al-Itithad of Libya scored a surprise away point in a 0-0 draw at Etoile Sahel of Tunisia.
Both sides moved to four points in the Group A standings, one ahead of Algeria’s JS Kabylie.
Departing Malian international Chiekh Oumar Dabo scored both goals in his farewell appearance in Tizi Ouzou on Friday as JSK beat Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces 2-0.
Dabo, who joins Le Havre in Ligue 2 in France this week, netted both in the opening half, the first a penalty. The soldiers have lost both of their opening group matches.
The next round of matches will be played on the weekend of July 20 to 22. – Reuters