Esperance and Monastir lay down markers as Remo Stars run riot in CAF Champions League

Tunisian clubs Esperance and Monastir took commanding away wins while Nigeria’s Remo Stars blew past US Zilimadjou on a Sunday that otherwise produced stalemates across the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League first-preliminary-round first legs.

Esperance won 3-0 in Niamey, Monastir triumphed 4-0 in Freetown and Remo Stars eased to a 4-0 victory at home to leave their opponents with steep climbs in next weekend’s return fixtures.

Elsewhere, five ties ended level – four of them goalless – keeping qualification finely poised as the continent’s biggest club competition gathers pace.

Esperance were ruthless on the road against AS FAN. Kamel Boualia settled any early nerves with a fifth-minute finish before Aboubacar Diakité took control after the interval, striking on 54 and 86 minutes to complete a professional 3-0 win.

The four-time African champions controlled territory, picked their moments in transition and rarely allowed the hosts a clear sight of goal, giving them the cushion they wanted before the second leg in Tunis.

Monastir’s 4-0 success at East End Lions matched that authority. The Tunisians silenced a lively Sierra Leonean team with a composed first-half display and a clinical one after the break. 

The opener arrived on 34 minutes and three more goals followed on 61, 88 and 90+4 to underline the visitors’ superiority and leave the Lions needing something close to a miracle away from home.

In Nigeria, Remo Stars produced the day’s most eye-catching scoreline and performance, dismantling Comoros champions US Zilimadjou 4-0.

Lamine Ndenge fired the hosts ahead on 12 minutes before Ebuka Anthony doubled the advantage in first-half added time.

After the interval Adams Goïta made it three with a thumping finish on 69 minutes, and Seun Olasupo rounded off a dominant team display 10 minutes from time.

The margin reflected Remo’s aggression out of possession and clean, fast combinations through the thirds.

The rest of the card was all about fine margins. In Togo, ASC Kara and Morocco’s RS Berkane traded second-half goals in a competitive 1-1 draw. Amoudane Ouro-Ayeva’s strike on 47 minutes put Kara in front, but Oussama Lamlioui levelled on 77 to ensure the two-time TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup winners return to Berkane with parity and an away goal safely banked.

Four ties finished 0-0, leaving everything to play for. Gabon’s Colombe and Senegalese visitors Jaraaf cancelled each other out in a physical, stop-start contest in Yaoundé.

Jamus (South Sudan) frustrated Sudanese heavyweights Al-Hilal Omdurman in a disciplined stalemate, while Equatorial Guinea’s Fundación Bata and Mauritanian champions Nouadhibou were likewise inseparable after a tight, tactical affair.

Guinea’s Leopard and Mozambique’s Black Bulls also ended scoreless, both sides prioritising structure over risk with 90 more minutes still to come.

Earlier in Antananarivo, Elgeco Plus and Malawi’s Silver Strikers traded goals in a 1-1 draw. The hosts struck first but were pegged back by the in-form Lilongwe side, who will fancy their chances back at altitude next weekend.

The broader context adds weight to these results. With 62 entrants this season and CAF offering logistical support to clubs eliminated in the opening rounds, the competition is deeper and more geographically spread than ever.

Record winners Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns join in the next phase so banking on a first-leg platform is everything for clubs dreaming of the group stage in November.

For AS FAN, East End Lions and US Zilimadjou the equation is stark: they must score early and often next week to overturn heavy deficits.

For Kara, Elgeco Plus, Silver Strikers and the quartet of goalless combatants, the second legs become one-off cup ties where set-pieces, substitutions and composure in decisive moments will decide who advances to October’s second preliminary round.

Second legs are scheduled for 26–28 September. If ties remain level on aggregate, they go to extra time and penalties.

The winners progress to the second preliminary round on 17–19 and 24–26 October, with the promised land of the group stage starting 21 November.