Raja storm into TotalEnergies CAF CL quarters, Simba up to second
Morocco’s Raja Casablanca became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2022-23 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League after winning 3-1 away to Horoya AC on Tuesday.
The victory in Guinea maintains Raja’s 100 percent record and they remain top of Group C with maximum 12 points, six ahead of Tanzania’s Simba who moved to second after edging out Ugandan debutants Vipers SC 1-0 in the other group fixture in Dar es Salaam.
Horoya AC 1-3 Raja Club Athletic
In Guinea, Walid Sabbar scored twice in between Mohamed Nahiri’s goal in a match that both sides finished with 10 men. Horoya’s first choice goalkeeper Moussa Camara was sent off after 26 minutes for a second yellow card for handling the ball outside the area.
The hosts had to sacrifice midfielder Naby Soumah for second choice goalkeeper, Sierra Leone’s Mohamed Kamara.
IN first half added time, Raja were also reduced to 10 men after Jamal Harkass was sent off for a last-man tackle on Abdoulaye Paye Camara.
The visitors took a 2-0 lead at the break, Sabbar flicking home from close range a cross from the left off a short corner for the opener after six minutes. Three minutes to the break, they doubled their tally with Nahiri’s brilliantly struck freekick that curled beyond the wall and into the roof of the net.
In the second half, Raja continued dominating despite being the away team and they added their third in the 63rd minute when Sabbar made a daunting run on the left before cutting into the box and slamming a low shot beyond the keeper.
Horoya pulled one back six minutes later, the first time Raja were conceding in the group stages when Pape Ndiaye shot from inside the box after a good build up.
Raja should have completely killed off the game with seven minutes left when they won a penalty after keeper Kamara had brought down Naoufel Zerhouni inside the box, but Mohamed Zrida struck his effort wide.
Simba SC 1-0 Vipers
Elsewhere in Dar es Salaam, hosts Simba SC completed a home and away double over Uganda’s Vipers in the East African Derby, to raise their point tally to six and keep their quarter final hopes alive.
Clatous Chama scored the lone goal for Wekundu wa Msimbazi who now need to earn at least four points from their next match to qualify for the next round. Vipers’ hopes are now reduced to mathematical chances as they are bottom with one point.
They have an away trip to Horoya and a home duel against Raja and they must win both to have a realistic chance.
Chama scored Simba’s winner at the stroke of halftime when he squeezed the ball between the keeper’s legs from a tight angle on the left.
Before that, the home side which enjoyed 62pc of possession in the opening half had good chances, with Saidi Ntibazonkiza denied by an acrobatic save from the keeper with a swinging shot before his header came off the bar.
In the second half, Vipers came off pushing to get back into the game and they thought they had scored their first goal in the group stage, but Yunus Sentamu’s effort was chalked off for offside.
In the 89th minute, Abubakar Lawal should have done better when a recycled corner was brought back into the area, but his effort with an audacious backheel spiraled straight to the keeper’s arms.