Yanga, Galaxy secure important first leg victories in TotalEnergies CAF Champions League
Tanzanian champions Young Africans (Yanga) got their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League campaign off to a flying start with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Asas Djibouti at the Azam Complex Stadium in Dar Es Salaam on Sunday.
A wonder strike by Stephane Aziz Ki in the opening half along with another sublime hit by dangerman, Kennedy Musonda secured the win for the hime side.
It also ensured last season’s TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup runners-up seal a win in front of their fans, as they look to build on last season’s impressive run on the continent.
Two-time champions Eniymba of Nigeria were defeated 4-3 by Libyan club Ahli Benghazi in a highly entraining match at the Martyrs of February Stadium in Benghazi.
Meanwhile on the southern part of the continent, striker Thabang Sesinyi scored both goals of the match as Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana played host to Uganda’s Vipers FC in another exciting fixture of the weekend.
As expected, both sides went in search of the early opener, however it was the hosts who got ahead in the 15th minute courtesy of a Thabang Sesinyi strike.
Coming back from the break, the Ugandans pushed hard for the equalizer and had their fair share of chances but were denied by the brilliance of Galaxy keeper, Goitseone Phoko.
Vipers continued piling on the pressure, which opened them up at the back as Sesinyi struck once again in the 72nd minute to notch up a brace and put the match beyond reach for the Ugandans.
The Big Bullets of Malawi fired themselves into a comfortable position ahead of the return leg with a 2-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea’s Dragon FC.
In Ghana, Medeama Sporting Club's Jonathan Sowah scored in the 22nd to secure a narrow 1-0 victory over Nigeria’s Remo Stars, who will be hoping to reverse the slim advantage a week from now in the return leg.
Morocco’s AS FAR had to work overtime for their 1-0 away win over a resilient ASKO Kara in Togo in a match that could have gone either way, while in Angola, Primeiro de Agosto managed a slender 1-0 victory over Congolese giants, AS Vita.
Three fixtures concluded in stalemates on Sunday.
In Benin, nothing could separate Coton Sport and Cote d’Ivoire’s Asec Mimosas as they shared the spoils in a goalless draw, with the same result in Guinea as hosts, Hafia were held to a 0-0 draw by Generation Foot of Senegal.
Congo’s Otoho FC could not capitalize on home ground advantage as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sudanese side, Al Merrikh who will go into the second leg with the slight advantage.
The return leg of the first preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League takes place next weekend, with the kick-off times and venues to be announced in due course.