Two former winners, Zamalek of Egypt and Nigeria’s Enyimba got off their campaign in the 12th MTN-CAF Champions League to flying starts courtesy victories over their respective opponents during the preliminary first leg matches played over the weekend.Five-time champions Zamalek beat APR of Rwanda 2-1 in Kigali where as Enyimba were 4-1 winners over Congolese champions, Diables Noir at home. 

Boosted by the presence of trio of Amr Zaki, Tarek Al-Sayed and Mahmoud Fathallah, members of the victorious Egypt team that won a record sixth time African winners title in Accra last week; a goal in each half from Mostafa Gaafar and Mohamed Aboul Ela gave the Cairo-giants a two goal lead before Akiam Jannot reduced the deficit for the Rwanda Police team in the dying embers of the game. 

Elsewhere, a brace from Stephen Worgu and Eze Otorugu was all two-time winners Enyimba needed to move a step closer to the next stage of the prestigious club competition on the continent at the expense of Diables Noir. Worgo opened the scores after 18 minutes, before adding his second two minutes later as the Nigerian champions ended the first half with a two-goal lead. 

Three minutes into the second half, Otorogu made it three before completing the rout with another strike in the 70th minute. Claude Gandze, grabbed a consolation for the visitors in the dying embers but was very little to change the course of the game. It was however, a bad weekend for the continent’s most populous country’s other representative Gombe United, who were downed 0-2 by DC Motema Pombe. Two goals from striker Bokungu Ndjoli gave the hosts the much needed victory. 

Ghanaian duo, Hearts of Oak and Ashantigold both crashed out in Libreville and Niamey to FC 105 and Sahel FC respectively. Hearts, winners in 2000 was handed a 0-3 thrashing by FC 105 and while Ashantigold, finalists in 1997 went down 0-1 to Nigerien champions, Sahel. Lenga Basto opened the scoring for FC 105 in the 40th minute followed by a 65th minute goal by Cedric Mintsa and a penalty 10 minutes later from Juste Freddy Alomo. 

This is the “Phobians” second successive loss in the opening match of the competition after a 0-4 thrashing by St. Georges of Ethiopia last year. In Dakar, AS Douanes were forced to a goalless draw by CS Ouagadougou of Burkina Faso at the Demba Diop Stadium, as the latter played out one4 of their best games in recent times.

''We played well but couldn't convert our chances.I can compare this game to the Ghana-Cameroon semi-final match at the just ended Nations Cup.I think we have to conjure a miracle we want to remain in the competition,'' Alhaji Hearts said in a post-match interview. 

Aliou Kandji, head coach of the AS Douanes blamed his team’s inability to snatch victory on the inadequate preparation and the stamina-suspect of his players, but hope to make amends in the return encounter.

“But in the return leg we are going to throw everything forward and attack.” In Zanzibar, South African Champions, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa pipped local side Miembeni SC by a lone goal thanks to a Surprise Moriri strike. Sundowns team manager Harris Chueu was full of praise for their wonderful display despite missing key players such as Benson Mhlongo, Josta Dladla and Michael Manzini.

"It was a tough game as we couldn’t play our normal game. The victory came at a high cost despite the injuries to some key players.”  

In Lome, ASKO Kara caused one of the major upsets of the preliminary rounds by beating former winners, Union Douala of Cameroon 3-1. A penalty from Mama Issofou just after half-time set the Togolese champions on their way to victory, followed by goals for Liyate Kpatoumbi and Vincent Tchalla. Club Africain marked their return to the competition with a 2-1 victory over ACS Saloum despite being a goal down at half time.

Borhene Ghannem equalised for the 1991 winners in the 70th and Oussema Sellami netted the winner four minutes from the end. FAR Rabat decimated Cape Verde champions Sporting Praia 3-0 in Rabat courtesy first half strikes from Abderrazak Lemnasfi, Mehdi El Bassel and Mustapha Allaoui. The second leg matches has been fixed for February 29 – March 2. 

Results

ASC SNIM (Mauritania) 1-5 Entente Setif (Algeria)

Sporting Bissau (Guinea Bissau) v Olympique Khouribga (Morocco)

Invincible XI (Liberia) v AS Kaloum (Guinea)

Renacimiento (Equatorial Guinea) 1-2 InterClube (Angola)

Royal Armed Forces (Morocco) 3-0 Sporting Praia (Cape Verde)

Tonnerre FC (Benin) 0-0 Africa Sports (Ivory Coast)

APR FC (Rwanda) 1-2 Zamalek (Egypt)

AS Douanes (Senegal) 0-0 CF Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Costa do Sol (Mozambique) 2-0 Ajesaia (Madagascar)

Royal Leopards (Swaziland) 0-1 Dynamos (Zimbabwe)

Sahel SC (Niger) 1-0 Ashanti Gold (Ghana)

Daring Club Motema Pembe (DR Congo) 2-0 Gombe United (Nigeria)

Vital'O (Burundi) 0-1 Coton Sport (Cameroon)

FC105 Libreville (Gabon) 3-0 Hearts of Oak (Ghana)

Renaissance (Chad) v TP Mazembe Englebert (DR Congo)

Stade Malien (Mali) 1-2 Primeiro Agosto (Angola)

ASC Saloum (Senegal) 1-2 Club Africain (Tunisia)

ASKO Kara (Togo) 3-1 Union Douala (Cameroon)

Simba SC (Tanzania) 3-0 Awassa City (Ethiopia)

Enyimba (Nigeria) 4-0 Diables Noirs (Congo)

Tusker FC (Kenya) v Al Tahrir (Eritrea)

US Tamponnaise (Reunion) 3-1 St Michel United (Seychelles)

Platinum Stars (South Africa) 3-0 Lesotho Correction Services (Lesotho)

Curepipe Starlight (Mauritius) 2-0 Coin Nord Mitsamiouli (Comoros Islands)

Miembeni SC (Zanzibar) 0-1 Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

Uganda Revenue Authority (Uganda) 0-2 ZESCO United (Zambia)