African club round-up: Petro Atletico stumble, Rahimo claim Ligue 1 title

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.

ANGOLA
Defending champions Petro Atletico stumbled close to the finish line as the GiraBola campaign comes to close, losing their traditional derby against Primeiro Agosto. But they still have three-point advantage over Wiliete, who were 2-1 home victors over Academica Lobito in Benguela on Sunday. Petro lost for only the second time in the league this season as Aguinaldo’s 35th minute header from a corner settled the 89thclash between the two Luanda giants in favour of Primeiro at the Estadio Nacional 11 de Novembro. It was only the second game in charge for former TotalEnergies CAF Champions League winner Flavio Amado, who took over as Petro coach when Ricardo Cheu was fired at the start of the month. Primeiro’s success kept up their hopes of competing in next season’s Champions League as they are third in the GiraBola standings, three points behind Wiliete who they will be hosting in in their penultimate league fixture on Sunday. But Primerio would need to win by six goals to usurp Wiliete on goal difference. If Wiliete fail to win, Petro could take the title for a record-extending 19th time, with one match to spare, if they beat Sagrada Esperanca away in Dundo, also on Sunday.

BURKINA FASO
Rahimo collected the single point they needed at the weekend to win Ligue 1 and to be crowned Burkinabe champions for a second time, following their previous success in 2019. They had gone into the penultimate weekend of fixtures six points ahead of second placed US Forces Armees and their goalless away draw at midtable Majestic in Ziniare on Saturday pushed them into an unassailable position on 55 points with a single game left in the season. USFA were due to play away against third place AS Sonabel in Ouagadougou on Sunday but the game called off after the warm-up, but before kick-off, after a clash of colours in the rival kits. USFA went into the match a single point ahead of Sonabel. At the other end of the table, ASEC Koudougou’s 3-2 away loss at Racing Bobo-Dioulasso on Saturday condemned them to last place. Comoe could still avoid the other relegation spot despite losing 2-1 away to Vitesse in Bama on Saturday. Comoe are two points behind both Salitas and Rail Club Kadiogo but if they win their last game against SONABEL on May 23 could profit if there is a result in the clash between Salitas and RCK at the same time.

COTE D’IVOIRE
Stade Abidjan and city neighbours ASEC Mimosas were both winners on the penultimate matchday of the Ligue 1 campaign on Sunday, ensuring a grandstand finish to the season. Stade kept up their three-point advantage as they edged Zoman 3-2 away at the Stade Robert Champroux with Yann Zebre’s 50th minute goal proving decisive. It was a third successive win for the former continental champions, who are looking for their first Ivorian championship since 1969. Only ASEC can catch Stade, keeping up their hopes after winning 2-0 at home to Bouake with Célestin Ecua successfully slotting home a penalty in each half.

MOROCCO
TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup finalists Renaissance Berkane concluded their successful Botola Pro 1 season in style on Sunday, winning 3-1 at Maghreb Fes to ensure they ended 13 points above second placed AS FAR. First time league winners Berkane fell one point short of the largest margin of success in the Moroccan league, set by Raja Casablanca at the end of the 1997/98 season when they finished 14 points ahead of second placed Kawkab Marrakesh. Berkane will be hosting the first leg the Confederation Cup final against Simba of Tanzania this weekend. AS FAR made sure of their berth in next season’s Champions League with a 3-0 away win over Hassania Agadir. JS Soualem won 3-0 away at Moghreb Tetouan to escape relegation and send their hosts down instead.

MAURITIUS
Cercle de Joachim are one win away from taking the Super League after they beat second placed La Cure Waves 1-0 on Sunday to open an eight-point gap at the top of the table. Ibrahim Diarra’s goal behind closed doors in Curepipe means they could retain their title as early as next weekend when they play at Pamplemousse.