African club round-up: Orlando Pirates triumph in Soweto Derby

African football is alive every weekend with exciting league action around the continent and our weekly round-up of league action highlights a selection of the most important results.

SOUTH AFRICA
Mamelodi Sundowns kept up their six-point advantage at the top of the Premiership but have played one game more than second placed on Orlando Pirates, who won the Soweto derby at the weekend with a last gasp penalty.
Pirates were awarded a spot-kick deep in stoppage time at the end of the game against archrivals Kaizer Chiefs in front of more than 80,000 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, cheekily converted with a Panenka-style finish from Patrick Maswanganyi.
It was a dramatic end to match that is the long-time ‘classico’ of South African football. That took the Buccaneers to 30 points from 12 games. Defending champions Sundowns played their 13th game of the league season on Sunday and are on 36 points after beating Lamontville Golden Arrows 4-0 in Pretoria.
It included a double from Namibian captain Peter Shalulile, who had come on as a first half substitute.
Sundowns host Pirates in Pretoria this Saturday, but both must navigate a Wednesday fixture in between as the pressure begins to mount.
Polokwane City are up to third spot after beating Chippa United 1-0 at home on Saturday while Sekhukhune United sit fourth after a 1-1 draw away at Stellenbosch on Saturday.

TUNISIA
Esperance Tunis took over the leadership of Ligue 1 on Sunday as they ran out 4-2 victors over Soliman at Rades to advance to 36 points.
The defending champions had been one point behind Stade Tunisien going into the weekend’s league fixtures but Stade have slipped to third on 35 points after being held to a goalless draw at Metlaoui on Saturday.
Zarzis jumped into second spot, ahead of Stade on goal difference, after Amir Tajaouri scored on the stroke of half-time to ensure a 1-0 home triumph over relegation-threatened EGS Gafsa.
Only three points separate the top five clubs on the table with Club Africain on 34 points after they drew 1-1 in Tunis on Saturday in an away clash at JS Omrane while Monastir stayed on 33 points after being beaten away on Sunday by Etoile Sahel in Sousse.
It was a first half penalty from Firas Chaouat that settled the outcome. Monastir were runners-up last season to Esperance, who have won seven of the last eight Tunisian championships.

BURKINA FASO
The Ligue 1 season resumed after a one-month hiatus with Rahimo sitting top after their 3-1 win over ASFB in the Bobo Dioulasso derby at Stade Wobi on Sunday where the 18-year-old Kobana Fatchie Ouattara made a dream debut, providing an assist after five minutes before scoring himself in stoppage time at the end of the game.
Rahimo are two points clear of SONABEL, who won 2-0 in Ouagadougou on Friday over ASEC Koudougou but took until the final 11 minutes to break the deadlock through Raouf Memel Dao.
Damassi Konate quickly added a second in the absence of top striker Aboubacar Traore, who was sold on Saturday to Maniema Union from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

ETHIOPIA
Ethiopian Medhin saw their Premier League lead extended to three points after they won on Friday and then saw closest challengers Kedus Giorgis held to a draw on Sunday.
Ethiopian Medhin, with former national team coach Gebremedhin Haile in charge, made it six wins in a row as they triumphed 1-0 away at previous leaders Hadiya Hosaena in Adama with Dawit Tefera’s sensational strike from outside the box proving to be the match-winner.
Kedus Giorgis drew 0-0 with Ethiopia Bunna on Sunday to miss out on a chance to keep the gap to a single point.

BOTSWANA
Township Rollers took over the leadership of the Premier League with a 2-1 home victory over VTM on Saturday in Gaborone, where Botswana international Segolame Boy curled home a superb finish to put his side ahead.
Rollers are up to 36 points just past the halfway mark of the season, two ahead of TAFIC, who were held at home in Francistown to a 1-1 draw by champions Jwaneng Galaxy and had been top of the table for two months.