African club round-up: Power Dynamos are champions of Zambia
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.
ZAMBIA
A penalty winner deep in stoppage time from Brian Masanyinga has secured the Super League title for Power Dynamos as they defeated Green Eagles 1-0 in Kitwe on Saturday to take an unassailable lead at the top of the table. It looked as though Dynamos may have to wait until the final day of the season to secure their eighth championship, but Masanyinga converted his spot-kick to ensure they took the title early. Dynamos advanced to 67 points with one game to play, seven ahead of second-placed ZESCO United, who played on Sunday and lost 1-0 in Kitwe to Mutondo Stars. Godfrey Chibanga’s 26th minute header lifted Stars out of the relegation places.But before the defeat ZESCO had been assured of second place after Nkana FC’s 5-2 loss at FC MUZA in Mazabuka on Saturday. Andrew Phiri and Rickson Ngambi both got a double for MUZA with Given Kalusa scoring the other. Lumwana Radiants’ stay in the topflight was ended after a 1-0 home loss to NAPSA Stars on Saturday while Forest Rangers have also been relegated to the second division. Atletico Lusaka took a giant step to safety with a 2-0 win at already relegated Indeni in Ndola, while Green Eagles drop into the bottom four.
TUNISIA
US Monastir’s hopes of a first title in Tunisia were handed a blow as they were held to as 0-0 draw at Stade Tunisien, allowing defending champions Esperance to take over at the top of the Ligue 1 standings on Saturday. Esperance were narrow 1-0 home winners in Tunis over CS Sfaxien as their Brazilian import Yan Sasse scored a 17th minute winner. It was a third successive league win for the “Sang et Or” as they put behind them the disappointment of a quarter-final exit in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League last month. Esperance have a two-point advantage over Monastir with two rounds left to complete. The potential of a dramatic finish to the season is alive as Esperance will host Monastir on the last day of the season on May 14. Third placed Etoile Sahel are mathematically also still in contention but four points behind Esperance after their title bid slipped in a 1-1 draw at home to EGS Gafsa on Sunday. They conceded a last-minute equaliser to the relegation-threatened Gafsa after leading through Ivorian striker Cedric Gbo’s 61stminute strike. The bottom four clubs all picked up a point at the weekend leaving the battle to avoid the last two places, and automatic relegation, still far from being concluded.
CAPE VERDE
Palmeira are the leaders after three rounds of the 10-team Campeonato Nacional as Walter Furtado scored a double in a 3-0 home victory on Friday over Ultramarina at Espargos. They are ahead of Os Sanjoanenses and Academica Praia on goal difference only. Marcos Lima scored two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the game to see Sanjoanenses edge Scorpion 2-1 in Porto Novo on Saturday while Academica were 1-0 home winners over Botafogo at the same time. Their winner came in the first half from Lucas Mendes.
DJIBOUTI
The closely fought two-team race for this season’s Championnat de Djibouti took another twist at the weekend as Garde Cotes edged ahead of AS Ali Sabieh by a single point. The coast guard team won 2-1 away against FC Arta on Sunday to 38 points, one more than above ASAS, who had been held to a goalless draw by Gendarmarie on Saturday. Garde Cotres, who have lost a single game this season, could settle matters on Thursday when they take on third place Arta 7/Solar, who sit out of the reckoning on 28 points.
NIGER
Super Ligue leaders AS Garde Nationale Nigerienne were handed a surprise 1-0 defeat at home on Sunday by JS Tahoua and could be overtaken by AS Forces Armees Nigeriennes if they beat ASN Nigelec on Monday. Saturday saw defeat for third placed AS Douanes 2-1 to Olympic FC and a setback for USGN who were fifth before going down 1-0 at home to Sahel SC. All games were played in Niamey.