Tanzanian Premier League champions Young Africans (Yanga) and their Libyan counterparts Al Ahli Tripoli produced the biggest win margins as the first preliminary round of the 2022-23 TotalEnergeis CAF Champions League wrapped this weekend.
In Dar es Salaam, Yanga produced a five-star performance, thrashing South Sudan’s debutants Zalan Rumbek 5-0. Congolese import Fiston Kalala Mayele was on form once again, hitting his second consecutive hattrick as Timu ya Mwananchi produced a sterling result.
The other two goals were scored by Farid Musa and new signing Stephen Aziz Ki. The result saw Yanga progress to the second preliminary round with a 9-0 aggregate victory having won the first leg 4-0 last weekend.
Meanwhile, Ahli Tripoli were 4-0 winners at home against Zanzibar League champions Kikosi Maalum cha Kuzuia Magendo Sports Club (KMKM).
Ahmed Kamal El Trbi netted a brace adding to one each from Ibrahim Tandia and Al Gaderi as they ran out 6-0 winners on aggregate having won the first leg in the island nation 2-0.
Another team to pick a big second leg result was Tunisia’s US Monastir who beat Rwandese champions APR 3-0 at home to progress 3-1 on aggregate, bouncing back from their 1-0 first leg defeat in Huye last weekend.
Algeria’s JS Kabylie also bounced back from first leg gremlins, beating Casa Sport of Senegal 3-0, having tasted a 1-0 first leg defeat.
DR Congo’s AS Vita Club also earned a comfortable win bouncing back from a first leg defeat after beating Botswana’s Gaborone United 3-1 at home to progress 3-2 on aggregate having lost the first leg away 1-0.
Algeria’s CR Belouizdad also progressed to the second round with a three-star victory, beating Sierra Leone’s Bo Rangers 3-0 at home.
Meanwhile, Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko were stunned by Burkina Faso’s Kadiogo who beat them 1-0 at home but had to progress through penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw, following a similar win by Kotoko in the first leg in Ouagadougou last weekend.
Other big guns to sail into the second round include Tanzania’s Simba who beat Malawi’s Nyasa Big Bullets 2-0 on the day and 4-0 on aggregate, Asec Mimosas of Côte d’Ivoire who beat Benin’s Coton Sport FC, South Africa’s Cape Town City who drew 0-0 with Otoho d’Oyo but had won the first leg 2-0 as well as Angola’s Petro de Luanda who beat Mozambique’s Black Bulls 5-1 on aggregate.
The conclusion of the first preliminary round now takes the teams to the second preliminary round matches, where the seeded teams including defending champions Wydad Athletic Club and record champions Al Ahly of Egypt join in.
The winners from the second preliminary round will qualify for the group stages.
2nd Round Fixtures
Rivers United (Nigeria) – Wydad AC (Morocco)
Plateau United (Nigeria) – EST (Tunisia)
ASN Nigelec (Niger) – Raja CA (Morocco)
US Monastir (Tunisia) – Al Ahly SC (Egypt)
Vipers SC (Uganda) – TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
Volcan Moroni/La Passe – Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
ASEC Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire) – Horoya AC (Guinea)
ASKO de Kara (Togo) – JS Kabylie (Algeria)
CD Mongomo/Djoliba AC – CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
Young Africans (Tanzania) – Al Hilal (Sudan)
Al Merreikh (Sudan) – Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya)
Flambeau du Centre (Burundi) – Elect/Zamalek
Cape Town City (South Africa) – Petro Atletico (Angola)
Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) – Simba SC (Tanzania)
Royal Leopards (Eswatini) – Coton Sport (Cameroon)
Rail Club de Kadiogo (Burkina Faso) – AS Vita Club (DR Congo)