20 April 2015 12:54
Mali football witnessed a blighted weekend after home losses by their two representatives, Onze Createurs and Djoliba during 1/8th round first leg matches.
Incidentally, both defeats came at the Modibo Keita Stadium in the capital, Bamako; Onze Createurs lost 1-0 to Ivorian giants on Sunday, ASEC Mimomsas whilst Ghana’s Hearts of Oak inflicted a 2-1 over hosts Djoliba 48-hours earlier.
The two sides must turn the style in grand style in the return encounters to remain in contention in the second-tier continental club championship.
Midfielder Adriel D’Avila Ba Loua scored in stoppage time to seal victory for ASEC, 1998 African champions and the surviving Ivorian club in the continental club championship.
A second successive away victory for the Hearts of Oak puts the hopes of Djoliba hanging by a thread with the second leg due in Accra in a fortnight.
The Phobians were simply too strong for their hosts and after barren first half, burly forward Gilbert Fiamenyo shot them up on 54 minutes and Paul Acquah strengthened the lead with the second nine minutes later. Djoliba pulled one back through Mali U-20 captain Ichaka Diarra on 75th minutes from the spot, an incident that saw Hearts of Oak captain Robin Gnagne receive a second yellow card.
Much was expected from the Malians following their impressive performance in their last fixture against Egyptian side, Petrojet in Suez; but they failed to live up to the billing.
After several unsuccessful attempts and being denied by the visitors’ goalie Abdoulaye Soulama of Burkina Faso fame, the Ghanaian side went up courtesy Fiamenyo who eased past Diarra before firing past Adama Keita for the opener.
Acquah made it 2-0 on 63 minutes by finishing off a superb combination with Fiameyo before Diarra gave the local fans something to cheer about with a consolation in the closing stages.
A spirited second half performance by Orlando Pirates of South Africa saw them hold their Gabonese hosts, CF Mounana to a 2-2 draw in Libreville. Thabo Rakhale equalized ten minutes from time after Lehlohonolo Majoro had reduced the deficit on 75 minutes. Bassirou Ouedrago gave the homers a first half lead with a strike on 32 minutes before Georges Ambourouet doubled the lead on 50 minutes, his sixth of the competition.
In the northeastern Egyptian coastal city of Suez, five-time African champions, Zamalek were held to a barren draw by visiting FUS Rabat of Morocco.
Unfancied Swaziland champions, Royal Leopards continued their fairytale run in the second-tier continental club championship, with a shocking lone goal victory over former African champions, AS Vita of DR Congo.
The ‘Police’ team came out tops in the encounter dubbed a ‘David and Goliath affair’ stunning the highly favoured Kinshasa-based club, losing finalists in the 2014 Orange CAF Champions League, for a first leg advantage and keep alive their hopes of becoming the first team from the tiny Southern African nation to reach the mini-league stage of a major continental championship.
After easing past South Africa’s Bidvest and Petro Atletico of Angola at the previous rounds, Mthunzi Mkhontfo’s 45th minute strike made the difference at the Somhlolo National Stadium in Lobamba.
An elated Sifiso Ntibane, head coach of the Swazi champions in a post-match interview said: “The players were determined and committed to the cause. This was no easy game. We are grateful to the support we got from everyone and the result is because of team work. I commend my players on their tactical discipline and we noted that AS Vita is a very good side with experienced players.
“We need to soldier on in the second leg. We know what to expect (in the second leg) and will be ready for whatever situation. We are going for war,” he was quoted by Swazi Observer newspaper.
DR Congo’s bitter weekend was capped after a 2-1 loss by FC MK at the expense of Nigerian side, Warri Wolves at the Warri City Stadium. Striker Gbolahan Salami scored in both halves before Ngoma Lwamba grabbed the vital away goal for the visitors five minutes from time.
Elsewhere in Dar es Salaam, visiting 2006 winners, Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia came from behind to draw 1-1 with Young Africans of Tanzania. Nadir Haroub gave the hosts a third minute lead whilst Mohamed Amine restored parity two minutes after break.
In Chlef, Algerian side ASO Chlef came from behind to snatch a vital draw against Tunisia’s Club Africain. On-loan Olympique Marseille forward, Saber Khalifa put the visitors in the lead on 64 minutes before Ivorian-import Patrick Koaukou drew level four minutes from time.
The second leg matches will take place in a fortnight with the winners progressing to the next round, where they will face the losing sides from the 1/8th round of CAF Champions League for a place at the mini-league stage.
Fixtures & Results
Friday, 17 April 2015
ASO Chlef (Algeria) 1-1 Club Africain (Tunisia)
Djoliba (Mali) 1-2 Hearts of Oak (Ghana)
Saturday, 18 April 2015
Royal Leopards (Swaziland) 1-0 AS Vita (DR Congo)
Young Africans (Tanzania) 1-1 Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
Warri Wolves (Nigeria) 2-1 FC MK (DR Congo)
Sunday, 19 April 2015
Onze Createurs (Mali) 0-1 ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)
Zamalek (Egypt) 0-0 FUS Rabat (Morocco)
CF Mounana (Gabon) 2-2 Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
Confederation of African Football (CAF) News
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