African leagues round-up: Setif, Kabylie draw in Algeria

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

ALGERIA 
Two former African champions met in Ligue 1 on Friday with a chance to knock CS Constantine off the top of the table but the clash between ES Setif and JS Kabylie ended in a 2-2 draw. Constantine were in Angola competing in the CAF Confederation Cup which handed Setif and Kabylie the opportunity to assume the leadership but their clash at the Stade du 8 Mars ended in 2-2 draw with Kabylie’s new Senegalese signing Babacar Sarr grabbing a last minute equaliser. Constantine are still ahead of Setif, but now on goal difference only, albeit with a game in hand. Kabylie moved up to third, overtaking MC Oran who lost away at struggling El Bayadh. Zine Mohamed Toumi Sief’s first half goal, which was his second in successive games, lifted El Bayadh off bottom place and out of the relegation places. Newly-promoted Olympique Akbou moved up to fifth place after their 1-0 away triumph at US Biskra, who now prop up the table.

GHANA
One of the classic clashes of African club football saw Asante Kotoko edge Hearts of Oak 1-0 in the Premier League on Sunday with Albert Amoah emerging the hero as he capitalised on a costly defensive mix-up in stoppage time to hand the hosts victory in Kumasi. Amoah took full advantage of a calamitous piece of defending as Hearts defender Kelvin Osei Asibey and goalkeeper Benjamin Asare ran into each other, leaving the home striker to gleefully pick up the loose ball and score. Both clubs are also former continental champions but this season find themselves in mid-table in the Ghanaian standings. Bibiani Gold Stars lost top place after they were held to a 1-1 draw away at Karela United in Tamale on Saturday, but they only trail new leaders Kpando Heart of Lions on goal-difference. Heart of Lions won 1-0 at Samartex in Samreboi, also on Saturday, going ahead after two minutes through Nana Kwame Oppong.

GABON
Bouenguidi’s 100% start to the new Championnat D1 season was brought to a stuttering halt on Saturday as Mangasport beat them 3-0 in Moanda. Bouenguidi won their opening three games of the campaign before the weekend’s setback but remain top of the standings by a single point from Mangasport, who have eight points. The rest of the weekend’s five matches in the Gabon topflight all ended in draws, as Dikaki and CS Bendje both picked up their first point of the season.

KENYA
A 2-0 defeat for leaders Kenya Commercial Bank on Sunday away at Shabana in Kisii allowed Tusker to join them at the top of the FKF Premier League. It was only a second loss for KCB who have 24 points from 14 matches, now ahead of Tusker on goal difference only. The 21-year-old Ryan Ogam netted both for Tusker as they won at Nairobi’s Dandora Stadium over Bidco United, lifting his goal tally to 12 in 13 matches. Champions Gor Mahia lost to Police on Saturday to lose ground on the leaders and sit in eighth place. Angry supporters protested their team’s form outside the stadium in Murang’a.

ANGOLA
Wiliete moved to within one point of unbeaten Girabola leaders Petro de Luanda as they scored a 1-0 win over Primeiro Agosto in Benguela on Sunday. Petro did not have a fixture at the weekend and sit top with 33 points from 13 games while Wiliete have played one match more. Wiliete’s highest Girabola finish was fourth, which they achieved two seasons ago, but now have high hopes former Angola coach Zeca Amaral can lead them to an even better campaign.