As championship goes into reset for second preliminary rounds
By Ed Emeanua
Espérance de Tunis, MC Alger, FAR Rabat, and Stade Malien, all progressed into the next stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League on Saturday.
With their wins, the continent’s heavyweights scaled the first preliminary huddle of the yearly championship, forcing the ongoing edition into a reset for the second round of preliminary play.
The Tunisian giants brushed aside AS FAN of Niger in Radès with an emphatic 4–1 victory to advance 7–1 cumulatively after 2 legs.
Youcef Belaïli began the methodical demolition of the visitors on the 19′ stage, scoring Espérance‘s first goal of the evening following ‘Mkashkha’, The Elder of Tunisian Clubs’, 3–0 first-leg triumph.
Emmanuel Addae restored parity for AS FAN in the 33rd minute, but Yan Sasse pulled his side ahead again before halftime when the Brazilian midfielder scored with a calm delivery.
Ibrahim Keita increased the the Tunisians’ halfway of the second stanza, scoring the third following a barrage of pressing.
Yassine Meriah scored Espérance’s fourth, converting in injury time from the penalty spot, and handing the four-time African champions a comfortable win at the Stade Olympique de Radès.
The triumph shoots Espérance into the Second Preliminary Round and now lie in wait for their next opposition.
In Algeria, MC Alger whitewashed Monrovia’s Fassell 3–0 in Algiers, moving on to the next round with an emphatic 3–0 aggregate win over two legs. The first leg ended scoreless in Liberia.
Ayoub Abdellaoui scored on 19′ and forward Soufiane Bayazid added the second in first-half stoppage time.
A third goal in additional time secured a comfortable 3–0 road victory for ‘Le Club du peuple‘ The Club of the People, and ending the Liberian side’s push.
FAR Rabat defeated Real Banjul 2–1 in Rabat, winning 4–1 on aggregate, booking their ticket to the next round.
Angola left back Tó Carneiro scored in the 18th minute of the match at the in Rabat and Rachid Slim increased the lead from the spot on 11′ following halftime.
Musa Ceesay reduced the scoreline for Real Banjul with 12 minutes of the game left to play, sending the Moroccan champions through to the next round 4–1 on aggregate having won 2–0 in Banjul penultimate week.
Also on the night, Stade Malien proved their superiority yet again over Tempête MOCAF with a 2–0 victory in Bamako over the Central African Republic side.
The Malian champions romped into the next round of the CCL with a 7–0 aggregate victory following a 5–0 first-leg win over the same foe in Bangui almost a week ago.
Oumar Coulibaly shot Stade Malien into the lead in the first half beginning one of the stage’s greatest complete victories.
Another strike in stoppage-time completed the route, moving the Malians ahead to the second round.
All the winners progress to the second preliminary round, where results of another pair of legs determines who moves into the CAF Champions League group phase.
