Abdel Rahman brace hands Merreikh derby win

Striker Mohamed Abdel Rahman etched his name in Sudanese football folklore after his two goals powered El Merreikh to a 2-1 win over bitterest rivals, El Hilal, in their Group A Day Five clash on Friday in Omdurman.

The 23-year old scored in either half to give the “yellow and red” part of Omdurman the bragging rights in the closely contested clash.

Abdel Rahman broke the deadlock after only nine minutes with a shot from the edge of the penalty area that beat Hilal goalie Loic Fedjou.

Hilal fought back with Ghanaian duo, Abednego Tetteh and Augustine Okrah asking the Merreikh backline several questions in their quest for the equalizer.

However, it was Merreikh who doubled the lead three minutes after break when Abdel Rahman latched onto a through pass, sped past Hilal defender Soualio Ouattara before firing past Fedjou.

The Blue Waves pulled one back through substitute Mohamed Idris on 66 minutes, in what was the closest they came at leveling.

Merreikh’s second win on the trot takes their tally to seven points, one shy of leaders Etoile du Sahel of Tunisa, who are away to Ferroviario da Beira of Mozambique in the other Group A match on Saturday in Beira.

Ferroviario and Hilal have four points each.

Meanwhile, USM Alger ensured that Group B will go to the wire after holding Libya’s Ahly Tripoli to a 1-1 draw in Sfax.

Defender Farouk Chafai gave the visiting Algerians the lead on 16 minutes before on-form Anis Mohamed Saltou leveled for the Libyan champions on 38 minutes.

USM Alger goalkeeper Mohamed Zemmamouche was his side’s hero by stopping Sameh Derbali’s penalty four minutes after recess.

Both USM Alger and Ahly Tripoli have eight points apiece, three more than five-time winners, Zamalek of Egypt who play as guests of Caps United of Zimbabwe on Sunday in Harare. The Zimbabwaen champions have three points.