TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup: Maniema Union edge Wydad, Chiefs continue fine run, CR Belouizdad cruise past Stellenbosch

TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup action resumed on Sunday, 01 February with bumper African club football action taking place across the continent.

Maniema Union put up an impressive showing against former African champions, Wydad Casablanca with a 2-1 win over the Moroccan giants.

Otoho d’Oyo also edged Singida Black Stars 2-1 to climb up the Group C standings.

Kaizer Chiefs held on for a vital 1-0 win over Zambia’s Zesco United to remain in a favourable place for a place in the knockout stages, while Stellenbosch FC suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat at the hands of CR Belouizdad at home.

Below is a summary of the afternoon fixtures.

 

Maniema Union 2–1 Wydad Casablanca

Maniema Union claimed a hard-fought home victory over Wydad Casablanca to strengthen their TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup campaign. The hosts took the lead in the 33rd minute when Beni Namboka finished calmly from close range after good build-up play.

Maniema doubled their advantage early in the second half in unfortunate fashion for the visitors, as Wydad goalkeeper Mehdi Benabid turned the ball into his own net under pressure in the 61st minute. Wydad responded quickly and pulled one back through Hamza Hannouri, who converted from the penalty spot in the 66th minute after a foul in the area.

Despite late pressure from the Moroccan side, Maniema Union defended resolutely to secure a memorable 2–1 win.

 

Otôho d’Oyo 2 – 1 Singida Black Stars

Otôho d’Oyo made the most of home advantage to overcome Singida Black Stars in an entertaining Group encounter. After a scoreless first half that saw Singida reduced to ten men following the dismissal of goalkeeper Metacha Mnata, Otôho found the breakthrough shortly after the restart.

Pomi Nzaou opened the scoring in the 50th minute with a composed finish, before adding a second in the 80th minute from close range to put the hosts firmly in control. Singida showed character and reduced the deficit late on through Joseph Gnadou in the 89th minute, but it proved too little too late.

 

Kaizer Chiefs 1 – 0 Zesco United

Kaizer Chiefs secured a narrow but vital win over Zesco United thanks to an early goal at in Durban. The decisive moment came in the 14th minute when Makabi Lilepo finished confidently from inside the box following a neat assist.

Zesco pushed for an equaliser and created several chances, particularly in the second half, but were denied by a disciplined Chiefs defence and a solid performance from goalkeeper Brandon Petersen. Chiefs also came close to extending their lead, with Lebohang Maboe striking the crossbar late on, as Amakhosi  held on to claim all three points.

 

Stellenbosch 0 – 3 CR Belouizdad

CR Belouizdad delivered a commanding away performance to claim a convincing 3–0 victory over Stellenbosch. The Algerian side controlled proceedings for the entire match, withTunisian forward, Mohamed Ali Ben Hammouda opening the scoring for CR Belouizdad in the 18th minute.

Abdennour Belhocini found the second in the 80th minute with a powerful header, before substitute Islam Abbaci added a third eight minutes later, also with a header from close range to put matters beyond reach for the hosts. 

 

Azam FC 1–0 Nairobi United

Azam FC secured a narrow but deserved victory over Nairobi United in their East African counterparts 1–0 thanks to an early strike Feisal Salum, who finished calmly from inside the box.

Azam controlled large spells of the match and created several chances to extend their lead, with Salum hitting the crossbar early on and both Jephté Kitambala and Pascal Msindo going close.

The Kenyans showed resilience and threatened sporadically, but were caught offside on multiple occasions as Azam’s defensive line held firm.

Despite late pressure and a flurry of set pieces in stoppage time, Azam defended resolutely to see out the win improve their Group B standings with just three points now separating them from leaders Wydad AC and Maniema Union.  

 

Djoliba 0–0 USM Alger

Djoliba and USM Alger played out a tightly contested goalless draw, with both sides creating chances but failing to find a breakthrough.

The match was evenly balanced, with Djoliba enjoying strong good spells and coming close to scoring in the first half when Amadou Soumaré struck the crossbar from close range.

USM Alger responded with quick transitions and forced several saves from Djoliba goalkeeper Wilfried Kouassi.

Djoliba remained dangerous from set pieces, while USM Alger threatened on the counter through Dramane Kamagaté and Houssam Ghacha, but goalkeepers at both ends stood firm.

Despite late efforts and added-time pressure, neither side could break the deadlock, and the match ended scoreless, with the two teams sharing the spoils in a result that sees USM Alger remain top of Group A while Djoliba remain at the bottom.