The third round matches of CAF Confederation Cup group stage took place on Wednesday with various teams registering different results.
A total of 18 goals were scored in seven matches except one that is between Rainnasance Sportive Berkane and Al Masry Club that produced a goalless result. A combined twelve yellow cards and one red card were ditched out in the all eight games.
The big victory of the night was the huge triumph of Gor Mahia, who thrashed Yanga of Tanzania 4-0 in a Group D tie that was played at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi under floodlights.
Rwandan striker Jacques Tuyisenge opened the scoring in the 23rd minute before Ivorian forward Ephrem Guikan ended his goal duck with a second at the stroke of half-time to ensure the 1987 Champions head into the break 2-0 up.
Yanga defender Haji Mwinyi then scored an own-goal before Guikan added his second of the match and K’Ogalo’s fourth with a powerful left-footed shot five minutes from time.
In another match, USM Alger beat Rayon Sports 2-1away in Kigali to ensure they held onto Group D lead.
Ismaila Diarra opened the scoring in the 27th minute to hand the home side an early lead but the Algerian side equalized through Farouk Chafai seconds before half-time break.
In the second half, USM Alger were more aggressive and sharper but Rayon’s goalie Abouba Bashunga was always alert to keep the score-line at 1-1, until Abderaouf Benguit netted a break-my-heart goal in the dying seconds (90+2 minute) of the game from Redouane Cherifi’s brilliant assist.
After three match rounds, USM Alger lead the log on 7 points, two ahead of second-placed Gor Mahia while Roberto Oliveira’s Rayon are in third place with two points followed by bottom-placed Young Africans who are on one point.
Another key moment of the night was Ghana’s sole representative Aduana Stars, who secured their maiden win at the group stages when they beat Congolese giants AS Vita Club 2-1 at the Nana Agyemang Badu II Park in Dormaa.
Striker Bright Adjei lashed home from inside the area after receiving a forceful pass from striking partner Yahaya Mohammed in the fourth minute of the match.
The Dormaa lads doubled their lead through some delightful piece of football just seven minutes later from a perfect header by Yahaya Mohammed who met Caleb Amankwah’s cross from the right.
Mundele pulled a goal back for the visiting team from a free kick following poor goalkeeping by Joseph Addo who allowed AS Vita back in the game.
Another fixture of the same group, ten-man ASEC Mimosas suffered a 1-0 loss to Raja Casablanca at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Ivory Coast.
Their first choice goalkeeper Abdoul Cisse was sent off midway through the second half after giving a penalty away which in the end was the difference between the two sides.
ASEC protested the referee call but later the penalty was taken after lengthy moments of argument. Salaheddine Bahi stepped up for the visitors and converted.
The Ivorian side will be looking for revenge when they face Raja Casablanca in two weeks’ time in Morocco on Sunday, June 29.
In Nigeria, another Ivorian side lost by a similar margin to the two-time African champions Enyimba beat Willamsville Athletic Club 1-0 in a match played at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.
Ibrahim Mustapha scored the only goal of the match in the 6th minute which gave The People’s Elephant the three points and took them to the top of Group C with six points from three matches.
From that point, the Ivorian’s dominated the game as they missed several chances that could have helped them snatch an away win. Enyimba fans were not happy with their teams display as it was their former player Victor Ezeji who said that the People’s Elephant have to do more to progress from the group.
The next match that was played later in the night, favourites CARA Brazzaville lost 2-0 to Djoliba Athletic Club at the Stade Omnisports Modibo Keïta courtesy of Mamadou Cisse’s brace.
It took the sharp forward 45 minutes to finally break the deadlock, as his goal came on the stroke of half time. Having headed to the tunnel leading by a goal, Cisse completed his brace in the 54th minute through Niapegue Cisse’s assist.
The Red Eagles, as Cara are famously know, now occupy the fourth spot in the group with three points from three matches. Both two sides are scheduled to meet on Sunday next week in Brazzaville in a clash that will set the tone as far as qualification for the knockout stage is concerned.
In a Group B tie played in Omdurman, Mozambican side UD Songo claimed their first point as they were held 2-2 by Al Hilal of Sudan.
The hosts got off to a flying start and opened the scoring in the second minute through Mohamed Bashir, putting them in charge of the game from early on.
Five minutes after the half an hour mark, The Blue Waves doubled their lead through their Tanzanian new acquisition Thomas Ulimwengu.
But Victor Muyabe’s coached side netted an equalizer just before the break through Frank Banda, keeping themselves in the contest as the game went to half time.
Three minutes to the final whistle, Helder Pelembe netted for Songo to secure their first point of the group.The result took the Sudanese giants to two points, though they remain in third place and adrift of leaders RS Berkane and Al Masry, who drew 0-0 in Morocco.
In that match that was dubbed a North African derby, Berkane looked to forwards Hamdi Laachir and Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba to spark their attack into life, but they were unable to really trouble Al Masry’s goalkeeper Ahmed Masoud who stood firm throughout the match.
On the other end, the Moroccans defence led by Abdelaali Mhamdi were able to keep Ahmed Gomaa and Esalm Eisa away from the goal mouth.
All the reverse fixtures of CAF Confederation Cup will resume on 29th July in different venues across the continent.
